‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Will Be Zoe Saldaña’s Last Outing As Gamora

Alas, all good things come to an end. After years of playing Gamora on the big screen, Zoe Saldaña has confirmed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be her last outing as the character.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) star spoke of her retirement from the role after the upcoming movie, hinting that it might not necessarily be the end of the road for the Guardians.

“I don’t think this is the end for the Guardians,” said Saldaña. “It is the end for me, for Gamora.”

The actress made her debut as the adopted daughter of Thanos in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and hadn’t expected to stay beyond that. Since then, she has played Gamora in four MCU movies (all three Guardians movies and Avengers: Infinity War), and believes now is the time to move on. According to her, she thanked Guardians trilogy director James Gunn for “just his time and his patience and his guidance and his friendship” on her last day of filming with the crew.

Saldaña’s sentiments echo that of Dave Bautista, who had previously expressed relief at putting Drax to rest and a desire to take on more dramatic roles in other projects. The wrestler-actor noted that the superhero team is set to go out with a bang, as Gunn has crafted the “perfect exit” for the current team.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is bowing on 4 May 2023, and will mark Gunn’s final MCU project before he fully transitions to DC Studios. Apart from the main cast of Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Saldaña, Karen Gillian (Nebula), Bautista, Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Vin Diesel (Groot), and Bradley Cooper (Rocket), the movie features both new and old faces as well, including Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock, and Sylvester Stallone’s Starhawk.