Meet The Real Stars of ‘The Marvels’ — Tango and Nemo
The next installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be a star-studded affair. When The Marvels hits theaters this November, it will bring together Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Bellani, and Samuel L. Jackson for the latest MCU intergalactic adventure.
While the roster of The Marvels is certainly impressive, the film will also see the return of Goose, the cat/Flerken who originally appeared in 2019’s Captain Marvel.
Photo: Marvel
Although Goose looks like an ordinary earth cat, she is actually a dangerous, man-eating alien.
Photo: USA Today
In Captain Marvel, Goose was primarily played by an orange tabby named Reggie.
Two New MCU Stars
With production of The Marvels relocated to the United Kingdom, Marvel reached out to cat trainer Jo Vaughan to find and train a replacement.
Vaughn came through, eventually casting two identical orange tabbies: 11-year-old Tango and 4-year-old Nemo.
Photo: EW
“There was no diva behavior [on set], but cats are cats,” Vaughan tells EW with a laugh. “That’s why you have two cats. So, if one goes, ‘Do you know what? I’m not really feeling it today,’ then you can switch to the other one. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, so they back each other up that way.”
Nemo and Tango on Set
When they are not acting, both Nemo and Tango live normal cat lives. Vaughn had to train the duo to perform basic tasks on command including hitting marks, following eye lines, and jumping on the actor’s shoulders.
Because the two feline stars were easily distracted, the cast and crew had to be as quiet as possible on set.
“Cats are so different to dogs,” Vaughan explains. “Cats are naturally quite nervous because that’s what keeps them safe. So, you have to slowly teach them that nothing around is going to harm them or bother them. It is quite a slow process.”
Image Credit: Marvel Studios
Adding another wrinkle to filming, was the fact that Brie Larson is allergic to cats. In order to film the scenes between Carol and Goose, Vaughan or another stunt double would stand in for the Oscar-winning actress.
Oblivious to Stardom
Following The Marvels, 11-year-old Tango is retiring from show business.
Photo: Entertainment Weekly
“What I find really funny about the cats is that they are living a pet life,” the trainer explains. “They’ve got however many fans of Goose around the world, and they’re literally oblivious. They’re just off doing their own thing.”
Photo: Marvel
The Marvels hits theaters on November 10.
