Dual First Look: Karen Gillan Fights Herself

Karren Gillan has taken down her fair share of onscreen enemies. "Doctor Who" fans will remember her fending off Daleks and Weeping Angels as Amy Pond, while others know her as Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, squaring off against both heroes and villains alike. Earlier this year, she leaned away from fantasy to kick ass in the flashy Netflix action flick "Gunpowder Milkshake," and in her upcoming film "Dual," she's diving headfirst into sci-fi to take down her greatest nemesis yet: herself.

It's Karen Gillan versus Karen Gillan in this satirical sci-fi thriller that pits a woman against her own clone. The title gives a pretty big hint at where the plot will go, but here's a quick breakdown of the premise: "After receiving a terminal diagnosis, a woman (Gillan) opts for a cloning procedure to ease her loss on her friends and family. When she makes a miraculous recovery, her attempts to have her clone decommissioned fail and lead to a court-mandated duel to the death." Intrigued? It only get better from there: the film comes from the mind of Riley Stearns, the writer-director behind "Faults" and "The Art of Self-Defense."

Society (AKA movies) has long determined that people cannot coexist with their clones, so obviously a duel to the death is the only way forward. Announced back in 2020, "Dual" wrapped production late last year and though it was originally expected to premiere in 2021, it's safe to say the film won't debut until 2022 since we haven't heard anything about a release date. But I do have some good news to deliver. For once thing, if you desperately need a story about someone cloning themselves to save their family from grief, then you'll be happy to learn that the universe is delivering that very same plot elsewhere. But if it's "Dual" you want, then it's "Dual" you'll get — our first look at the film has finally arrived.

Karen Gillan is armed and ready for battle. In this first look image, her character Sara is gearing up for battle with a blade and shield in hand. Gillan is joined by her co-star, "Breaking bad" alum Aaron Paul, who looks as though he's attempting to calm her down — but that may be easier said than done. In her defense, I too would cling tightly to my weapons if an alternate me was on the prowl. Not to mention the mirror behind her, likely adding to any paranoia: if she manages to survive the battle, her relationship to mirrors will be forever altered...

Very excited to share this cheeky first look at Dual. Very proud of this film in which I prepare to fight myself in a duel to the death. 🪓 🔨 💣 https://t.co/TiUGb7YvOL

— Karen Gillan (@karengillan) November 30, 2021

Gillan shared the first look on both twitter and instagram, with emojis like a hammer, an axe and a bomb. Clones fight dirty, I guess. The battle of two Saras is shaping up to be pretty brutal but maybe the supporting cast will help soften some blows. Along with Paul, Gillan is joined by "Hawaii Five-0" star Beulah Koale, comedian Martha Kelly ("Baskets"), Sanna-June Hyde ("Syke"). Jesse Eisenberg is also expected to make an appearance. No release date for "Dual" has been announced, but given the first look image, a date and trailer may not be too far behind.