Zoe Saldaña as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

How Gamora Returned for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is just around the corner. Tickets are already on sale, the official trailer has dropped, and we’ve seen some strange character posters for the sequel. It has been six years since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hit theaters, and while the Guardians have shown up in the Avengers films and Thor: Love and Thunder, we’ve been anxiously awaiting the continuation of their solo film series. Unfortunately, the sequel hit several roadblocks along the way, including director James Gunn’s firing, his eventual re-hiring, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s plot details have been kept largely under wraps, but we do know that Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) and the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) will be making their live-action debuts. The sequel is also expected to dive into the mysterious past of Rocket (Bradley Cooper), who was created by the High Evolutionary. There’s even been speculation that the Cancerverse could show up in the film.

The biggest mystery in the sequel is what’s going on with Gamora (Zoe Saldaña). Viewers will recall that Gamora was tragically killed in Avengers: Infinity War by Thanos (Josh Brolin), who sacrificed her for the Soul Stone. She was also noticeably missing from Thor: Love and Thunder when the Guardians made a cameo. While Vol 3. takes place after Infinity War, Gamora has appeared in the trailers for the seque, leaving viewers uncertain about the nature of her role in the upcoming sequel.

Is Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?

Zoe Saldana as Gamora holding a polaroid in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
(Marvel Studios)

Gamora is in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but she’s not the same Gamora we’ve gotten to know over the years. The reason that she is still alive and able to be in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is explained in Avengers: Endgame. In that film, the Avengers travel back in time to collect the Infinity Stones and bring them to the present day to undo Thanos’ snap. Of course, messing with time has a few unintended consequences. This includes a 2012 version of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) escaping custody and creating an alternate timeline and a 2014 version of Gamora traveling to the present day.

By the end of the film, the 2014 Gamora remains in the present. So, she’s technically still the Earth-616 Gamora, but from the past. In 2014, she hadn’t had any of her adventures with the Guardians yet, so they are like strangers to her. After she helps undo Thanos’ snap, Gamora sets out on her own to do … something. We’re really not sure where she has been since then, as she was absent for Thor: Love and Thunder and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. However, at some point, she ended up with the Ravagers. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Gamora and the Ravagers cross paths with the Guardians and she seemingly rejoins the latter group.

From the trailer, though, it seems she’s having a hard time fitting into the Guardians. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still grieving the loss of his Gamora, and this Gamora has to keep reminding him that she’s not the woman he once knew. Even though the original Gamora once developed feelings for Quill, it’s unclear if this Gamora ever will when she’s missed such a significant portion of time. Plus, Quill thinks the 2014 Gamora is a “total dick,” and he tries to shoot his shot with Nebula, which probably doesn’t elevate him in Gamora’s eyes. We’ll have to wait until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to see what ultimately happens with the 2014 Gamora.

(featured image: Marvel Studios)


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Rachel Ulatowski
Rachel Ulatowski is an SEO writer for The Mary Sue, who frequently covers DC, Marvel, Star Wars, YA literature, celebrity news, and coming-of-age films. She has over two years of experience in the digital media and entertainment industry, and her works can also be found on Screen Rant and Tell-Tale TV. She enjoys running, reading, snarking on YouTube personalities, and working on her future novel when she's not writing professionally. You can find more of her writing on Twitter at @RachelUlatowski.