Fil-Am actor joins ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ cast

Filipino-American actor Nico Santos is the newest addition to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ franchise. INSTAGRAM PHOTO/NICOSANTOS

Writer-director of Marvel Cinematic Universe's “Guardians of the Galaxy” James Gunn officially announced that Filipino-American actor Nico Santos will be joining the film's third installment.

He wrote on Instagram Thursday, “Yes @nicosantos is in #GotGVol3. Hilarious and talented and sweet guy who, like me, got engaged during Vol. 3 because magic and love were in the air.”

Santos has raised the Philippine flag in a number of Hollywood films and shows such as “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” (2015) as Brian; “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018) as Oliver; and NBC series “Superstore” (2015 to 2021) as Mateo Liwanag which earned him a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2018. He also appeared in the Off-Broadway play “Happy Talk,” in 2019.

“Punch me! I mean pinch me! We wrapped a month ago but I've thought about my time on set every day since. Thank you @jamesgunn for your genius, kindness and for fostering and creating such an incredibly fun world to work and play in,” Santos reacting on his Instagram account.

Writer and director James Gunn shares photo of Santos with the cast and crew of the Marvel film’s third installment. INSTAGRAM PHOTO/JAMESGUNN

“I believe it was early nineties R&B songstress Gabrielle who said 'Dreams can come true…' Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go frolic in a meadow to celebrate all the joy I'm feeling,” the 43-year-old continued.

Details about his character in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” is yet to be disclosed. But he will for sure be joining a powerhouse cast including fellow Fil-Am actor Dave Bautista, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sylvester Stallone, Karen Gillan, Elizabeth Debicki, Will Poulter, Chuk Iwuji, Maria Bakalova, and Daniela Melchior.

The movie is set to release May 5, 2023 in the US.

Santos was born in Manila and moved with his family to the United States when he was 16, settling in Gresham, Oregon. He is currently engaged to marry Zeke Smith who participated on the “33rd – Millennials vs. Gen X” and “34th – Game Changers” editions of the CBS reality game show “Survivor.”