Actress Zoe Saldana reveals that she wanted her Guardians of the Galaxy tenure to include a “complex” yet “relatable” story. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is not only the last James Gunn Marvel film but is also the final one for Zoe Saldana as she has decided to leave her beloved Marvel Studios role behind and move on to better and bigger things.
The reason behind this sudden move was that the actress felt “artistically stuck” when she was working in franchise movies. Saldana has been playing the role of Gamora, the assassin daughter of Thanos, the love interest of Star-Lord, and Nebula’s sister since 2014. She has been a part of five different MCU movies, but as per the actress, there’s one particular role she always wanted to play but never got the chance to.
The Marvel Spin-Off Zoe Saldana Wanted: Gamora and Nebula
In the Disney+ documentary Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Zoe Saldana expressed her interest in the relationship between Gamora and her sister Nebula in the MCU. You can read Saldana's response regarding the spin-off below:
"I would have loved to have just seen a spin-off based on that sisterhood. It's so complex. It's so controversial."
This sisterhood was introduced to us back in 2014 with the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, where it was shown that both of them have a major competition to prove to their father, Thanos, that who is the better sister. As the story progressed, we saw how they overcame their problems and started acting like actual sisters and family with each other. This is something Saldana said she found really relatable, as there are many sisters or siblings in real life who have "managed to survive because of their kinship."
"It's also so relatable in a sense that, not me by personal experience, but knowing that there are siblings out there that have had troubled lives at home, and managed to survive because of their kinship, because of their brotherhood or their sisterhood."
The actresses for both these characters have also expressed their interest in a spin-off before this. In an interview during the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, both actors responded positively to the title of “Sisters of Justice” for a Gamora and Nebula spin-off. Moreover, Karen Gillan, the actress who plays Nebula, noted in the Marvel Studios Assembled doc that she "bonded through the experience" with Saldana, and they both are "protective over the sister relationship and how it's portrayed."
"Me and Zoe are so bonded through the experience of playing these characters. It's crazy. Like we feel really protective over the sister relationship and how it's portrayed on screen and it just really matters to the both of us. It's something that we just connected with a lot. And over the years, it's resulted in a really special bond between the two of us."
Gamora and Nebula Powerful Guardians Story
Even though the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and the Guardians, are cosmic, exciting, and hilarious, James Gunn’s characters, as well as their relationships with each other, is what has always been a staple for the franchise. However, once you look back on the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and their entire MCU journey, you see that the relationship between Gamora and Nebula has been a completely different story arc and a powerful one at that.
As Saldana stated, "there are siblings out there that have had troubled lives at home." Through the storyline of these movies, fans have seen the sisters forgive, grieve, grow, and slowly experience what it’s like to truly be a part of a loving family. We agree with Saldana that it quite is unfortunate there won’t be a spin-off or project highlighting Gamora and Nebula’s relationship since it would’ve been both powerful and impactful.
Regardless of there being no spin-off, the way James Gunn portrays and tells the whole story of Gamora and Nebula in the Guardians trilogy still makes it one of the best in the franchise. Who knows, maybe someday the actress might return for something like this?
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently available to stream on Disney+.
