The upcoming Marvel sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is expected to bring an end to the tenure of the original team. And filming the follow-up has now been described as a “sweet departure” by returning star Zoe Saldaña. Speaking with EW, Saldaña teased that the end is nigh regarding her character Gamora and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
“[Filming] started bitter in the beginning cause obviously you’re anticipating the end, but I’m just so happy that once again I got to work with great people. I had an evolution that I witnessed of myself, but also my director and my cast. I just felt very blessed and grateful. It was a very sweet departure, I have to say.”
Gamora has had a more dramatic journey in the MCU than most. After debuting in the first Guardians of the Galaxy outing back 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 occurred during Avengers: Endgame. However, having come from a previous timeline, Gamora has no memory of her friends, meaning that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 should prove to be hugely emotional for both her and Peter Quill.
Not much has yet been revealed regarding the direction of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but it is expected that it will involve Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, as he once again rallies 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 to be Guardians mainstay Rocket Raccoon, with director James Gunn previously teasing his importance. "I'll just say Rocket is a big part of what's happening in the future - and a lot of this stuff (like the scars we're about to see on his back) sets up what I've been planning for Rocket all along," Gunn said back in 2020.
This is Not the First Time Zoe Saldaña Has Called Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 'Bitter'
This is not the first time that Zoe Saldaña has used the word “bitter” when discussing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. “It’s bittersweet; after all those years of complaining about that green make-up, I find myself already nostalgic about it,” the actress said earlier this year. “There’s a lot of melancholy here, but also pride that we’ve achieved something great. James Gunn has written a beautiful story, that’s making us emotional even as we shoot it. Omicron plays a doozy on us every other day, but we’re getting by and we’re happy.”
Written and directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will see several familiar faces 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 will also introduce 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 scheduled to be released in the United States on May 5, 2023, as part of Phase Five of the MCU.