The Upcoming Marvel Sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is expected to end the tenure of the original team. And the filming of the follow-up has now been described as a “sweet departure” by returning star Zoe Saldaña. Speak with EWSaldaña teased that the end is near regarding her character Gamora and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
“[Filming] started bitterly at the beginning because of course you anticipate the end, but I’m just so glad I got to work with great people again. I had an evolution that I witnessed in myself, but also in my director and my cast. I just felt very blessed and grateful. It was a very sweet departure, I must say.”
Gamora has had a more dramatic journey in the MCU than most. After his debut in the first Guardians of the Universe during a foray in 2014, the character appeared throughout the franchise before being killed by her father, Thanos, in Avengers: Infinity War. Despite being dead, Gamora has returned thanks to the time travel shenanigans that took place during Avengers: Endgame. However, being from an earlier timeline, Gamora has no memory of her friends, meaning: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 should prove immensely emotional for both her and Peter Quill.
Not much has been announced about the direction of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but it is expected that Peter Quill will be involved, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, as he once again assembles the Guardians of the Galaxy on a mission to defend the universe and protect one of their own. The “one of their own” is likely Guardians mainstay Rocket Raccoon, with director James Gunn previously teasing his interest. “I just want to say that Rocket is a big part of what’s going to happen in the future — and a lot of these things (like the scars we’re going to see on his back) determine what I was planning for Rocket all along,” said Gunn in 2020.
This is not the first time Zoe has called Saldaña Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ‘Bitter’
This isn’t the first time Zoe Saldaña has used the word “bitter” when discussing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. “It’s bittersweet; after all these years of complaining about that green makeup, I’m already feeling nostalgic about it,” the actress said earlier this year. “There’s a lot of melancholy here, but also pride that we’ve accomplished something big. James Gunn wrote a beautiful story, which makes us emotional even as we film it. Omicron plays a doozy on us every other day, but we’ll make it and we’re happy.”
Written and directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 several familiar faces will return, including Chris Pratt as Peter Quill aka Star-Lord, Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Karen Gillan as Nebula and Pom Klementieff as Mantis. The threequel also introduces several new faces, such as Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary, Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Spacedog, and Will Poulter as Adam Warlock.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is expected to be released in the United States on May 5, 2023 as part of Phase Five of the MCU.