Fans aren’t the only ones surprised when Zoe Saldaña became a big part of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 despite the massive change her character has seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actress didn’t expect to play a major role in the final movie of the James Gunn-directed franchise, thinking she would only make an appearance in a couple of scenes.
For starters, Gamora died in Avengers: Infinity War after Thanos sacrificed her for the Soul Stone. Though her death is permanent, her variant from a different timeline appeared in Avengers: Endgame after Thanos and his army brought her to the Avengers’ timeline. Considering Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 takes place after the events of Endgame, with the heroes in a very different place, the Gamora fans see here has never been in love with Peter Quill.
In the new Marvel Studios Assembled documentary about the last GOTG movie, Saldaña revealed she thought she would only appear in two scenes because of the major change in her character. But despite the surprise, she was still grateful for being a big part of it.
I'm surprised Gamora is in this installment as much because I immediately knew what had happened in Avengers and I was just like, well, it would be an honor to at least come for two scenes and then bid everyone farewell but I was deeply surprised and really grateful that I got to play, that Gamora really has a lot to do and a lot to sort of observe.
What is the difference between the new and old Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
Saldaña also delved deeper into her character, revealing the difference between the new and old Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. For her, the original Gamora fans saw in the first GOTG installment had a lot in common with the new Gamora in the third film.
Though the two Gamoras have lived the same experiences, everyone feels familiar to her, though she’s left confused, not understanding what's happening. In spite of the change, the 45-year-old still found the new Gamora “very exciting” because of her independence and being wild.
“She's different,” she said. “There's a spunk to her that Gamora never really had.”
Will Gamora return to the MCU after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
At the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Gamora is seen returning to her new family, the Ravagers, a group of space pirates. And by the looks of it, it is the last for her character.
In an interview with Total Magazine (via GamesRadar), Saldaña said the time has come for her to step down and let the next generation reprise her role after ten years. For her, a decade of playing Gamora is more than enough, making her feel lucky and moving on with “so much grace and gratitude” in her heart.
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. 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.
Fans will surely miss Gamora after making a huge impact in the GOTG and MCU in general. But who knows, she may return with the continuation of Phase 5.
