Zoe Saldaña has shared her thoughts on Gamora's Guardians of the Galaxy 3 journey.
At the end of the film, Gamora – who is actually a version of herself from pre-Guardians of the Galaxy, as the 'prime' version of Gamora was killed in Avengers: Endgame – doesn't rejoin the Guardians and instead returns to the Ravagers.
"I did. It was a bittersweet decision, obviously," Saldaña told The Hollywood Reporter (pre-SAG-AFTRA actors' strike) of appreciating the decision against having Gamora and Peter Quill rekindle their romance. "I wanted to know that in the final chapter, Gamora stays on and finds a way to become a Guardian again. But this felt like the right way to end things for her, because of what she had been through. At the end of the day, any multiverse that she would've come from, she was still going to have the same experience with Thanos [Josh Brolin], and she was still gonna have the same guilt and the same trauma. So she finally found solace with the Ravagers, and she felt more open than she had ever been."
She added: "I think the whole thing with Peter bothered her, because even though she had no recollection of who he was, she had a sense that it must have been special. And I appreciated that takeaway because it kind of gave us the hope that if the Guardians seek help again from the Ravagers, maybe Gamora and Peter will find a way back into each other's lives, even if it's just as friends."
If Gamora had rejoined the Guardians, though, one of the film's most heartbreaking moments wouldn't have happened. As emotional as Rocket Raccoon's journey is in the movie, one of the most effective gut-punches in the film comes when Peter and Gamora say goodbye. "I bet we were fun," Gamora tells him, to which Peter replies: "Like you wouldn't believe."
The quiet sadness of that moment can only come if Gamora and Peter go their separate ways – and stay apart. Anything else would undercut the wistfulness of their farewell.
Plus, as Saldaña herself says, considering Gamora has suffered so much with Thanos (and was actually killed by him), it's extra satisfying to see Gamora choose her own path and strike out independently at the end of the film. Her celebrating with the Ravagers is the perfect, joyous moment to leave her on.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is releasing on Disney Plus this August 2, which means you'll soon be able to revisit Gamora's journey for yourself. In the meantime, check out our guide to all of the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows for everything else the MCU has in store.
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