Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the final installment of the trilogy that director/writer James Gunn started when he introduced this band of misfits who found family amongst each other, saving the world for humans and creatures alike. This time around, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), aka Star-Lord, struggles to deal with a Gamora (Zoe Saldana) that is alive but doesn’t know who he is while also trying to save the life of his best friend Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and being forced to face his own past that he left behind before heading out into the larger galaxy.

During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Maria Bakalova (who not only voices Cosmo the Spacedog, but who was also on set to do the motion capture work) talked about what makes the popular canine character so special, the powerful reaction from audiences, not believing that she’d ever get to be in a superhero movie, the collaborative environment that Gunn created on set, the responsibility she felt to do this character justice, the challenging bond between Cosmo and Kraglin, and her hope that fans will get to see Cosmo again.

Collider: There are aspects of every movie that people can’t agree on, and there are things they argue about and overanalyze, but it seems like the one thing everybody can agree on with this movie is that there is not enough Cosmo. What do you think it is that makes the character so special?

MARIA BAKALOVA: It’s her heart that makes her special, for sure, because she’s loyal and she’s dedicated to them and she’s there to prove that she will not disappoint them. That’s something that I find for myself, as well, because I always have a fear that I am gonna disappoint somebody, that I’m gonna disturb someone else, or that I’m gonna interrupt something, if I do something, so I’m gonna work to prove that I’m happy. I think she has that. She’s just a pure soul, and she loves and cares for all of them. She will do everything possible to save them and to help them.

Was there more of Cosmo that you shot and recorded, but that got cut, for whatever reason?

BAKALOVA: There might be some scenes that I didn’t see [at the premiere]. I think her introduction to this world has been great. I was able to watch the movie with an audience, and hearing and seeing them react to her and laugh with her, and then gasping when she does something heroic, has been very powerful. It’s the second movie I’ve done that I watched with an audience and enjoyed. That’s why movies like this need to be watched on a big screen, at the cinema. The movie deserves it. The people that have worked on it deserve to be put out there on a big, big, big screen. It should be shared with people because this movie is about love, it’s about family, and it’s about belonging. If we’re together, we share this contagious feeling of love, sadness, handling grief and loss, and then finding your people and creatures.

Before joining this whole superhero/comic book world, had you been hoping to do one of these movies? Are you a fan, just as an audience member, of these kinds of movies?

BAKALOVA: Who hasn’t? Have I believed that something like this is possible? Absolutely not. First of all, being here and talking with you is something that I still cannot process, mentally, is actually happening. That started because of Sacha Baron Cohen, and that has been something that is still unbelievable for me, at this point. And then, Marvel, which is a whole new world, universe, galaxy for God’s sake, is something that I’d dreamed about, but had I ever, in a million years, imagined that it was something that was possible? Absolutely not. Being here reminds me that I had a quote that I was following when I was younger, and then I grew up and was like, “Okay, I have to become more realistic.” But it was something like, “All of your dreams are possible, if you dare to pursue them.” I think that was from something from Disney. When I grew up, I was like, “No, that’s childish.” But it is possible. I still don’t understand how it’s possible, but it is, and I’m just enjoying it right now.

What do you learn about yourself, as an actor, from doing motion capture? How do you figure that out, and how do you find your inner talking space dog?

BAKALOVA: The most important thing for me, as an actor, is to be truthful and to share everything, whether it's a line or a movement, the way that I’m feeling it. It’s through a character, but it’s honest. Whether that’s a dog, a raccoon, a flower, a tree, or a butterfly, that’s still something that has a soul, or at least on screen, it’s gonna have a soul. You need to have a great director, which we all had on this movie, whose name is James Gunn. He knows how to guide you to the point that you feel safe and you open up and you’re there to improvise, and he’s there to nurture you and lead you in the right direction. He’s collaborative, which is incredible for everyone who works in this industry. He’s also a visionary, so he oversees the whole picture, objectively, because we, as actors, are always subjective. It’s been interesting to work and collaborate with him and listen to him because I trust him with all my heart and gut. I’m just hoping to work with him, over and over and over again. He’s extraordinary.

We got brief glimpses of Cosmo in the first couple of Guardians movies, and people were very eager to see more. Did you feel any pressure or responsibility, in bringing this canine to life, knowing how much audiences wanted to see her?

BAKALOVA: Of course! It’s a character that has been there in the comic books when it was written as a boy. Now having her being a girl is actually true to history because Cosmo is a prototype of the first dog that has been sent to the galaxy, which was a girl called Laika. She’s the Russian dog. So, you have to have respect towards the audience, towards the fans, and towards the people that are gonna watch your movie. As long as you’re truthful, and listen to your great director and creative team, work really hard, and try to do the best that you’re capable of doing, the worry becomes smaller and smaller. Of course, there’s always gonna be fear because if you’re scared about something, it means you care about something. If you don’t care and you’re like, “Whatever, let’s just do it,” then you’re not that passionate about it, and I am. So, I was scared, and I still am, because I hope they really love her and her dedication and her strength. At the end of the day, we’re doing all of this for the audience and for the fans because they deserve to receive something that they’re gonna like.

Clearly, there is a bond between Cosmo and Kraglin. How would you describe their relationship and the bond that they have? Why is it so important to Cosmo to be seen as a good dog?

BAKALOVA: You know, that made me cry, for real. That’s something that we see, as human beings, around puppies and dogs. Their eyes shine when you say, “Good dog!” They really understand. And when you say, “Bad dog!,” they feel bad, for real. She is a good dog. When you’re close with somebody, sometimes you say worse than usual words to them because you know that they’re gonna forgive you. It’s a challenging relationship, where they push and pull each other, to the point that provoking each other gets bigger and better results. At the end of the day, I think they’re soulmates and friends, but they definitely challenge each other.

Do you hope that we will get to see Cosmo in this universe again?

BAKALOVA: Yeah, definitely. I wanna know what’s gonna happen with her and with her destiny. I wanna know where she’s gonna end up. At the end, some of the Guardians are in a new place that we haven’t seen them before. I’m interested to see what that place will be and what’s gonna happen next. But I don’t know. That’s not under my control.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is in theaters on May 5th.