If we are being completely honest, as the protagonist of MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies, the part human, part celestial Peter Quill, is the least interesting character of the team. Despite that, this Han Solo wannabe with goofy Casanova mannerisms was given the most importance compared to the rest of the team members due to his being the leader and the founding member of the team. On the other side of the spectrum, there is the intergalactic assassin Gamora, the adopted daughter of the mad Titan, Thanos—a significantly interesting character who was given too little to work with in most of her appearances. Both of these characters fell in love with each other through the course of the first two “Guardians” movies and played crucial roles in the biggest mega-crossover event of the MCU, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
During the Infinity Saga, Gamora died as Thanos sacrificed her in exchange for the Soul Gem at Vormir. An alternate timeline version of Gamora appeared in the main timeline instead, who hadn’t been through any of the experiences that Gamora in the main timeline had. This puts the relationship between Peter and Gamora in an interesting situation, which Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 deals with, while also charting a roadmap as to where these characters find themselves at the end.
Spoilers Ahead
Does Peter Find His Place In The Grand Design Of Things?
As the movie begins, we find Peter still moping over Gamora’s absence. He is not in a position to accept the fact that the person he loved died a tragic death, and a version of her still lives somewhere in the galaxy without any of the memories the duo cherished together, which led to Peter resorting to alcoholism. Gone are the days when the legendary Star-Lord bickered with Thor about the leadership of the Guardians; now, most of the time, he engages in drunken delirium with no care for the rest of the world.
However, this callousness costs Peter dearly when Adam Warlock’s attack leaves his best friend, Rocket Racoon, almost fatally wounded. So far, Peter’s journey in life has been marked by the loss of his near and dear ones, from losing his mother during childhood to saying farewell to Yondu during the second Guardians movie and Gamora during the Infinity War. This time he is not willing to bid adieu to another of his loved ones, especially when his inefficiency as a leader was part of the reason the situation escalated to this.
However, as Peter and the rest of the Guardians decide to go to Orgocorp to look for the means to aid Rocket, they are assisted by the alternate timeline version of Gamora, who is now a part of the intergalactic scavenger group called the Ravagers, a group Peter was previously a member of. It is an uneasy reunion, as the duo is even more irked by each other’s presence than the first time they met. Peter has to keep his head in the game as saving his friend is his first priority, and he also has to come to terms with the fact that this Gamora is not the same person whom he loved.
Peter confronts the maniac responsible for Rocket’s traumatic past, High Evolutionary, and retrieves the necessary tech to save Rocket by abducting and killing one of his scientist associates. Peter finally manages to revive Rocket, and along with Groot, the three friends embrace in an emotional, much-awaited group hug. However, the mission at hand extends to saving Drax, Mantis, and Nebula from the High Evolutionary’s Arête, and led by Rocket, Peter and the rest of the Guardians, now assisted by Gamora, manage to do just that. As the team escapes to Knowhere from Arête, which is nearing total collapse, Peter loses his music player, ‘Zune,’ and just to retrieve that, he heads back and almost dies while being exposed to the vacuum of space. It was incredibly important for him, as he later gifted it to Rocket, who was fond of the device due to how much the duo connected with their love for music. After everything is said and done, Peter accepts the fact that it was not his destiny to be with Gamora, recognizes the fact that Rocket will be more capable as a leader than him for the Guardians, and relinquishes his role accordingly. Saving Rocket’s life and moving on from mourning Gamora was important to Peter because he realized he needed to find his roots anew as he went back to Earth to look for his maternal grandfather, the last vestige of a human family left there for him.
As the movie ends, we are shown that the legendary Star-Lord will return to future MCU installments, and whether it’ll be another such cosmic adventure or a much more grounded one remains to be seen.
Does Gamora Return To The Team?
The alternate timeline version of Gamora, on the other hand, finds herself in a strange place after briefly re-joining the team of misfits known as the Guardians of the Galaxy. She is not acquainted with the team at all and therefore is unaware of the team dynamics or the familial feelings the members have for each other, and to add to the confusion, she is irritated by the constant nagging of Peter, who can’t shut up about his relationship with the prime timeline version of Gamora. The alternate version of Gamora is not habituated to learning and expressing her own and others’ emotional problems like the prime timeline version was, thanks to her time on the team, and as a result, she is rough around the edges, a trigger-happy merc.
Initially joining the team to help infiltrate the Orgocorp in exchange for credits, Gamora gets stuck with them after the mission gets temporarily sabotaged, and as a result, she is stuck with them until the Ravagers get a chance to rescue her. As Peter and co. decide to take on the mighty High Evolutionary, Gamora is dumbfounded at why they would risk it all to save a ‘pet.’ Her sister Nebula promptly rectifies her by letting her know the dynamic between the team, which Gamora also realizes while accompanying them through thick and thin. Gamora joins the rodeo for the last time and helps the team take down the megalomaniac High Evolutionary, and at the end, it is she who exposes the grotesque face of the autocrat by peeling off his mask. Although she doesn’t join the group hug at the end, she has learned the value of love and compassion and has been moved enough to set the course of her journey on a wise, milder note with the Ravagers.
Actress Zoe Saldana, who portrays the role of Gamora, had previously announced that this was the last time she would reprise the character on the big screen. It is uncertain whether we are going to see Gamora in the MCU ever again in any capacity, or even if the character returns, whether she will be portrayed by the same actor or not.
