With director James Gunn teasing it as a farewell to the team, it is believed that the third Guardians movie would mark the end for at least some of the fan-favorite characters. After being appointed to the High Table of DC Studios, James Gunn already declared that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would be his final MCU project. Our favorite characters had a wonderful send-off in the most recent Guardians movie.
Zoe Saldana has been one of the most vocal about leaving behind the MCU. She made her official announcement of leaving the role of Gamora ahead of the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. She added that although she was happy to retire, her role in the franchise should be recast going forward. She is grateful that the MCU gave her consistent work for ten years.
Zoe Saldana’s Retirement from Marvel
Zoe Saldana was introduced as Gamora in the MCU in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Her portrayal of Thanos’s daughter made a big impression on the audience, and she ended up becoming a fan favorite. Saldana, however, also stated her plan to leave the MCU, just like Dave Bautista did.
Zoe Saldana spoke to The Hollywood Reporter when she dropped the bombshell of her retirement from Marvel. Saldana said:
“I don’t think this is the end for the Guardians. It is the end for me, for Gamora. I feel that for the last 10 years of my life, I’ve been just stuck. I felt stuck doing these franchises. I’m very grateful for the opportunities that they provided but it also meant that I felt artistically stuck in my craft of not being able to expand or grow or challenge myself by playing different sorts of genres and different roles.”
The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise director James Gunn almost killed off Gamora in Vol. 2, and Saldana had not anticipated bringing the character beyond the first film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
That Was a Very Sweet Departure
Saldana explained why Gamora left the team at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. According to the actress, Gamora left because “she finally found solace with the Ravagers, and she felt more open than she had ever been.”
“Filming started bitter in the beginning ’cause obviously, you’re anticipating the end,” Saldaña said at the time.
“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,” she added.
There are many possibilities for the Guardians of the Galaxy and Ravagers to cross paths again due to the MCU’s intertwining of the two factions. The good news is that Saldana’s earlier statements of leaving Gamora may not be as firm as they once were. Fans would undoubtedly love to see her come back.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter