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Guardians of the Galaxy 3 brought the original roster of Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, Groot, and Nebula together one last time before sending them off on their separate journeys in the MCU. The marketing campaign of Guardians 3 made it seem that at least one of the major Guardians might end up dying. But that didn’t happen.
Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Rocket Raccoon got to lead a new team, including Groot, while Star-Lord went back to Earth. Nebula and Drax stayed on Knowhere, and Gamora reunited with the Ravagers. Among them, Rocket, Groot, and Peter Quill could still get to return, but fans are left asking if Gamora could be back as well. If Zoe Saldana’s words are to be trusted, then her version of the character may not return.
Zoe Saldana retires as Gamora
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Zoe Saldana confirmed that Guardians 3 will not be the end of the franchise, but it will mark the end for her.
Even in her previous interview with Total Film Magazine, she revealed that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 would mark her final appearance. She said:
“I think the time has come for me to step down and for the next generation to come forward. The one thing I would not want is for Gamora to go away. She’s been such an impactful character for fans and especially female fans, and young female fans.”
Surprisingly, she also said that while she is happy to retire, her character should be recast moving forward in the franchise. She is happy she got constant work for a decade in the MCU.
Saldana continued:
“I would love for Marvel to figure out a way to find that next generation of actors that can incarnate these characters, and give them this immortality that fans generationally keep coming back to. I signed up for one, and I got 10 years. Lucky me, man. I have no complaints. And I’m moving on with so much grace and gratitude in my heart.”
In another past interview, Saldana revealed that she felt stuck and creatively frustrated appearing in the Avatar movies and MCU. Sitting for hours in the makeup chair was also tough.
So, it’s understandable that Saldana wants to take on newer opportunities in her acting career, as she is set to appear in projects such as Lioness, The Absence of Eden, and Avatar 3.
How Gamora could return without Saldana
Post Avengers: Endgame, the new Gamora variant surprised fans by showing up amongst Stakar Ogord’s Ravagers. She found a new family amongst them and willingly reunited with that team parting ways with Peter Quill and her sister.
By sending Star-Lord’s ex along with the Ravagers, James Gunn has given Marvel a choice to either bring back all the Guardians later or simply let them be alive off-screen. While the other Guardians are much more popular than the Ravagers, Marvel could afford to keep them off-screen and not bring them back. That way, Gamora wouldn’t need to return either.
But if they decide to bring her back in a future project like Avengers: Secret Wars, they could simply recast the role by bringing in a multiversal variant in a Guardians reunion.
