Sean Gunn Teases More Maxwell Lord, Creature Commandos Season 2 And Gilmore Girls Return

From Stars Hollow to the DCU, Sean Gunn reflects on the characters fans still love.

Sean Gunn has built a career out of playing characters fans never forget. Some know him as Kirk from Gilmore Girls. Others know him as Kraglin from Guardians of the Galaxy. Many also know the work he did on set to help bring Rocket to life across the Marvel trilogy.

Now, Gunn is helping shape the new DCU with roles like Weasel, G.I. Robot, and Maxwell Lord.

During SpaceCon, I had the chance to sit down with Gunn for a live Nerdtropolis panel in front of fans. The conversation moved through several major chapters of his career, from Stars Hollow to Knowhere, and into the future of DC Studios. Gunn opened up about his acting process, the legacy of Guardians of the Galaxy, his love for Creature Commandos, and why conventions still mean so much to him.

With so many fandoms attached to his name, Gunn said it has become harder to predict what fans will ask about when they walk up to meet him.

“Less and less I can,” Gunn said. “I like it when I’m surprised. When I think someone’s a Gilmore Girls fan, and they’re like Belko Experiment fan or something like that. But as I get older, more people are just familiar with more of my stuff, so that’s always gratifying when they know my name.”

That answer captured what makes Gunn such a fun convention guest. His career reaches different audiences for different reasons, and every fan seems to have a different entry point.

Sean Gunn On Acting, Nerves, and Finding The Character

Before diving into Kirk, Kraglin, and Maxwell Lord, Gunn talked about the work itself. When asked if he has any rituals or superstitions before acting, he said his focus is less about routine and more about getting into the right headspace.

“I think it would be tricky to be superstitious when you’re trying to get into character,” Gunn said. “You want to get your mind in the place where you’re focused.”

For Gunn, the goal is to align himself with the character before the cameras roll.

“I want myself physically to be aligned with where my character is,” Gunn said. “I’m trying to think the way that they think.”

Even after years of steady work, Gunn admitted that the first day on a new job still brings pressure. It is not fear exactly. It is the weight of knowing the work is about to become permanent.

“It’s always unnerving when you do your first take of your first day of a new job,” Gunn said. “Particularly if it’s a movie or whatever, because you know once it’s in the can, it’s there forever.”

That mindset has followed Gunn through television, film, superhero stories, animation, and performance work. It also helped lead him to one of his most beloved roles.

How Kirk Became A Gilmore Girls Favorite

For many fans, Sean Gunn will always be Kirk from Gilmore Girls. However, the role did not begin as a major part of the show.

Gunn first appeared as a DSL installer in a small role. That could have been the end of it. Instead, the character grew into one of Stars Hollow’s funniest and most unpredictable residents.

“I was a day player on one episode of that show,” Gunn said. “I was playing the DSL installer, and it just went really well. The creator of the show asked about me again and really liked what I brought to it and wrote me into the show, which I’m very grateful for.”

Kirk became known for his countless jobs, strange ideas, and offbeat confidence. Gunn said the character worked because there was a strong creative connection between him and the show’s creator.

“It was a wonderful way to perform, to have a symbiosis with the creator who’s doing the writing,” Gunn said.

When asked about Kirk’s many jobs, Gunn did not pick a traditional favorite. He said he does not really think of his work that way. Still, one part of Kirk always connected with him.

“Kirk’s a filmmaker,” Gunn said. “He makes his stupid little movies, and I love that, and that’s what I do.”

Gunn also explained why he avoids ranking his roles.

“The truth is that I don’t have favorites when it comes to my work,” Gunn said. “It’s not in competition with itself.”

Sean Gunn Is Open To Playing Kirk Again

Gunn later returned as Kirk in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. After being away from the character for years, he admitted there were some nerves at first. Then everything came back.

“When I went back in 2016, I was nervous for a second,” Gunn said. “But then it’s like when you pull your oldest, most comfortable T-shirt out of the drawer and put it on.”

That comfort showed how closely Gunn still feels connected to Kirk. The character remains a major part of his career, and he made it clear that he would not be against another return.

“I would do Kirk anytime,” Gunn said.

That line got a strong reaction from the SpaceCon crowd. Kirk has become more than a supporting character to fans. He is one of the reasons Gilmore Girls still feels alive for viewers who revisit the series.

For Gunn, the role remains something he can step back into and enjoy. He described Kirk as a fun character to live with for short periods of time.

Sean Gunn On Discovering Guardians Of The Galaxy

Since the interview took place at SpaceCon, the conversation naturally moved toward Guardians of the Galaxy. Gunn admitted that he did not grow up knowing the team well. His brother, James Gunn, was the major comic book fan in the family.

“I was never the comic book guy that my brother was,” Gunn said. “He was always really, really super into comics.”

That lack of mainstream awareness helped the first Guardians movie. Before the film became one of Marvel’s biggest surprises, the characters were not household names. That gave the filmmakers more freedom to create something fresh.

“Even comic book nerds weren’t as familiar with Guardians when we first started that movie,” Gunn said. “I think there’s a lot of freedom that came with that.”

That freedom allowed Guardians of the Galaxy to become a different kind of Marvel movie. It was funny, emotional, strange, and full of characters who did not look like obvious franchise leads on paper.

Gunn could feel the movie working during production. However, he had no idea how large the reaction would become.

“A couple of weeks into filming, I knew that we were making something really good,” Gunn said. “I never imagined that it would be as big as it was.”

Playing Kraglin And Helping Bring Rocket To Life

Gunn had a unique job on Guardians of the Galaxy. He played Kraglin on screen while also performing Rocket on set. Those two jobs required very different types of focus.

According to Gunn, the process came together while Marvel and the filmmakers were still shaping key parts of production. James Gunn had already told him there would likely be something for him in the movie. Sean Gunn knew there was a role called the first mate, which later became Kraglin. At the same time, Rocket’s voice had not been cast yet.

James Gunn needed someone he trusted to play Rocket during early work and on set, not just someone reading lines.

“He’s like, ‘I really need somebody that I know and that I trust to play Rocket with, you know, to do the table read and to do it when we start to work,’” Gunn said. “I want somebody on set who is an actor and not just somebody reading lines or something like that.”

That behind-the-scenes setup gave the cast something real to react to while also helping the director and visual effects team build Rocket’s presence. Gunn said the two roles came together shortly before filming.

“Only two weeks before we started shooting, he was like, okay, this is how this is going to come together,” Gunn said.

Even though both roles were part of the same movie, Gunn treated them as separate jobs.

“Playing Rocket was one job, and playing Kraglin was a different job,” Gunn said.

For Rocket, Gunn served as an on-set performer who helped the actors, director, and visual effects team shape the character during production. The final version of Rocket would come together through visual effects and voice work, but Gunn’s presence gave the other actors something real to play against.

“The process that we came up with for creating Rocket was collaborative, and it worked really well for the character, so we kept doing it,” Gunn said.

Kraglin was different. That role belonged to Gunn in a more traditional way because he was physically playing the character on screen.

“Kraglin’s very different,” Gunn said. “I’m actually playing that character, and I’m more connected to it.”

Balancing both characters meant carrying two different jobs in his head at once. Gunn described it as a matter of focus.

“Brain space is prime real estate,” Gunn said.

The Emotional Legacy Of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy became one of Marvel’s most emotional stories. For Gunn, seeing that journey completed in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was deeply meaningful.

“That’s one of the most gratifying things in my career,” Gunn said. “I love the trilogy.”

Gunn said he knew early that the trilogy was, in many ways, Rocket’s story. That understanding gave the three films a clear emotional line.

“I knew early on that it was essentially Rocket’s story,” Gunn said.

He described Rocket’s journey as one of loneliness, healing, and leadership.

“The arc of the three movies were about him sort of taking this journey of being something that felt more alone than anything in the universe, to being in a position of leadership and power,” Gunn said.

That journey hit audiences hard, especially in Vol. 3. It also gave the trilogy a rare sense of completion. Gunn credited that consistency to James Gunn writing and directing all three films.

“It helps that it’s the same writer and director for all three movies,” Gunn said. “It really, really helps.”

Gunn also shared how proud he is of the trilogy as a whole.

“It’s to me one of the better movie trilogies that we have anywhere in any genre,” Gunn said.

Sean Gunn Talks Creature Commandos And The New DCU

After years in the MCU, Gunn has become part of the new DCU. His roles already include Weasel, G.I. Robot, and Maxwell Lord.

During the SpaceCon interview, Gunn sounded genuinely excited about what DC Studios is building.

“I definitely enjoy what’s going on at DC right now,” Gunn said. “I think that the whole world-building and the whole story world being interconnected is really exciting and cool.”

One project stands especially high for him. Gunn had major praise for Creature Commandos, the animated DCU series that gave him two very different characters to play.

“Creature Commandos is one of my favorite things I’ve ever done in my whole career,” Gunn said. “I just really love it.”

Gunn also confirmed that work is already underway on the next season.

“We’re working hard on Season 2, which is awesome,” Gunn said.

For DC fans, that was one of the biggest updates of the panel. It also made clear how invested Gunn is in the future of this new shared universe.

Sean Gunn Teases More Maxwell Lord

One of the biggest moments from the interview came when Gunn talked about Maxwell Lord. The character has a long DC history, and Gunn is still in the process of exploring what makes his version tick.

“I love playing Maxwell,” Gunn said. “He’s a very interesting character. I’m still very much in the middle of learning who he is and what motivates him and how he operates.”

Gunn described Maxwell as a timely character because of the way billionaires dominate modern culture.

“He is an uber billionaire, and that is a character type that is very timely,” Gunn said.

The most interesting part of Maxwell, according to Gunn, is the character’s belief that he has a moral purpose.

“He certainly believes himself to be a billionaire with a conscience,” Gunn said. “The exploration of how possible that is is very exciting.”

Gunn also confirmed that fans will see more of Maxwell Lord in the DCU.

“I’ve loved playing Maxwell Lord,” Gunn said. “You’ll be seeing more Maxwell Lord.”

He could not reveal exactly where or when Maxwell will appear next, but he did leave fans with a tease.

“I am still not at liberty to disclose when or where,” Gunn said. “But soon I can tell you that you will see more of him.”

Weasel, G.I. Robot, And The Heart Of Creature Commandos

Gunn also spoke about bringing Weasel from The Suicide Squad into Creature Commandos. In the film, Weasel was mostly used as comic relief. The animated series gave the character a much deeper emotional arc.

“Weasel is such comic relief in The Suicide Squad movie,” Gunn said. “And so then to portray him, to do his voice in Creature Commandos, was really interesting work because all of a sudden he’s got this emotional arc.”

The challenge came from expressing that emotion without traditional dialogue.

“The only thing I have in my toolbox are grunts and squeaks and squawks and growls and any sort of sound that a weasel might make,” Gunn said.

When I joked that Gunn keeps making audiences cry, he fired back with one of the best lines of the panel.

“It’s my job to make you cry, man,” Gunn said.

Gunn also shared his love for G.I. Robot, another standout from Creature Commandos. The character’s blunt mission and dark humor clearly appeal to him.

“I really enjoy G.I. Robot a great deal,” Gunn said. “Who doesn’t want to kill Nazis?”

He added that working on the second season has been exciting as the DCU continues to grow.

Sean Gunn Gives Update On Shepherds

Outside of Marvel and DC, Gunn also gave fans an update on Shepherds, the graphic novel he has been developing.

“I’m working on it,” Gunn said. “It’s a graphic novel I’ve been working on, and I’m still in the process of it.”

Gunn revealed that he had worked on the project the night before the SpaceCon panel. He also admitted that moving into a new creative field has not been easy.

“Jumping in and working in a field that you have no experience is daunting for me,” Gunn said.

Still, Gunn said the process remains rewarding.

“I still love the process, and I’m working on it,” Gunn said. “Hopefully something real soon.”

That answer gave fans a small but encouraging update. Gunn may be known mostly as an actor, but Shepherds shows another side of his creative work.

Sean Gunn On Nimrods, Green Day, and Mason Thames

The conversation also touched on Nimrods, the upcoming Green Day movie. Gunn said he has known Billie Joe Armstrong for years, after working with him on Ordinary World.

“I’ve actually known Billie Joe for a lot of years because we did a movie called Ordinary World together,” Gunn said.

His role in Nimrods is small, but he had a great time filming it.

“I went and did a day on it, just a little fun cameo, and it was a total blast,” Gunn said. “The movie is awesome.”

Gunn described the film as a real rock and roll movie that parents can enjoy with their older kids.

“It’s an actual rock and roll movie that parents can watch with their older teen kids,” Gunn said.

He also praised Armstrong and the members of Green Day.

“Those guys at Green Day are all super cool, particularly Billie Joe,” Gunn said. “He’s such a kind and conscientious artist and a really nice dude.”

The movie also stars Mason Thames, who previously appeared at SpaceCon. Gunn had nothing but praise for the young actor.

“He is also a delightful young man,” Gunn said. “Real deal. What a good actor.”

Sean Gunn On Chasing The Story

When asked what type of character or genre he wants to explore next, Gunn said he does not chase genre. He chases writing.

“I chase the story,” Gunn said.

For Gunn, good writing matters more than the category a project falls into.

“Go for good writing, and you can have good writing in any genre,” Gunn said.

After years of playing comedic characters like Kirk and Kraglin, Gunn said he has enjoyed pursuing more dramatic work. Still, he keeps a realistic view of the business.

“As an actor, my choices are always limited to my options,” Gunn said.

He also made it clear that he enjoys staying busy.

“I love working,” Gunn said. “I like being employed and I like having a character that is living somewhere in my brain all the time.”

That answer speaks to Gunn’s career as a whole. Whether he is playing a strange small-town resident, a Ravager, a talking animal, a robot, or a billionaire, he finds a way to make the character feel specific.

Sean Gunn’s Message To The Fans

The interview ended with Gunn speaking directly to the fans who have followed him across so many projects. His message was simple.

“I love you all,” Gunn said.

For Gunn, conventions are special because they bring people together around shared passions. They create a place where fans can celebrate the things that matter to them, no matter how weird or specific those things may seem to the outside world.

“I love the people that come to these conventions and people who are sharing common interests and enjoying what other people enjoy,” Gunn said. “It is the most wonderful thing in the world to find common interest with other human beings.”

Then he summed up the magic of fandom perfectly.

“Oh, you love that weird thing? I love that weird thing too,” Gunn said.

After playing Kirk, Kraglin, Rocket, Weasel, G.I. Robot, and Maxwell Lord, Gunn has built a career around characters who often live on the edges of bigger worlds. Yet those characters are often the ones fans remember most.

“To hang out in a place like this, what a gift that is,” Gunn said. “I just think it’s cool as hell, and I like being here.”

---

Read more News on Nerdtropolis. Subscribe to our YouTube.