How and why will Gamora return in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after her death in Avengers: Infinity War? There are a few reasons. 

Zoe Saldana's Gamora was featured in several shots of Marvel Studios' tear-jerker of a trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. 

Skilled assassin and daughter of Thanos, Gamora was a key member of the Guardians family - and the love interest of Peter Quill - prior to Thanos sacrificing her for the soul stone. So the question is, how is Gamora back for Vol. 3? And why is she seemingly back with the Guardians? 

Gamora's Guardians Vol. 3 Comeback Explained

While Peter Quill and Gamora's feelings for one another are teased in both prior Guardians films, audiences don't see them fully embrace their relationship until Avengers: Infinity War. 

Why it takes the two so long to reach that point has to do with their similar, traumatic pasts. Thanos killed Gamora's mother and half the population of her planet before forcibly adopting her, turning her into an assassin. 

As for Quill, he was traumatized by the loss of his mother and then kidnapped by Yondu to be raised by the Ravagers. Then, in Vol. 2, he discovers that his real father, Ego, killed his mother and only wanted to use him.

Both have suffered loss and have difficulty with trust. 

While they seem to have overcome some of those issues in Infinity War, it's also in this same film that Thanos takes Gamora and sacrifices her on Vormir. 

Therefore, this version of Gamora, with all of her history with the Guardians and Peter, is killed; and, once again, Peter has suffered a huge loss. 

However, in Avengers: Endgame, the Avengers' use of time travel, which also involved Nebula, allows Thanos and Gamora from 2014 to discover the MCU present. 

Thanos then uses both past and present Nebulas to allow himself and Gamora to travel to 2023, the present-day MCU. 

Even though this Gamora doesn't have the same experiences as her Infinity War self, she does turn against Thanos and learn of her alternate life with the Guardians and Peter. 

After helping the Avengers in that final Endgame battle, she disappears by the end of the film. 

This is why she's not in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special but is able to return in Vol. 3. 

Gamora's Role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

From what fans know of Vol. 3, the Guardians will be threatened by the sociopathic High Evolutionary and likely the Sovereign from Vol. 2. 

Since both are obsessed with perfection and superiority, a clash with the misfit Guardians makes sense, especially since Rocket appears to be one of the High Evolutionary's past projects. 

Given that Gamora and her sister Nebula were cybernetically enhanced by Thanos, she too may be on a collision course with these villains, leading to a team-up with the Guardians. 

The latest Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 trailer offered a small glimpse at her role, including her helping an injured Drax in what appears to be a prison escape. 

But perhaps the most interesting shot is Gamora in what appears to be a three-point landing pose, otherwise known as a hero pose. 

In most MCU films, a character landing in this position is a visual confirmation that they're now a hero. 

But the real reason behind her role is that Vol. 3 is James Gunn's final bow within the MCU and the conclusion of his Guardians trilogy. 

Not only is it right that Saldana plays a part in this final chapter, but her character's arc - as well as that of Peter Quill's - is still incomplete. Again, the 2014 Gamora that's now at large in the MCU has never experienced family or a relationship with Peter. 

As for Peter himself, he has - yet again - lost who he loves most; and while he's carrying on with the Guardians in the Disney+ special, something is still missing. 

Where Will Vol. 3 Leave Star-Lord & Gamora?

James Gunn, the threequel's trailer, and even Zoe Saldana herself have warned audiences that this final film is going to be emotional and that not everyone will survive.

Whether Peter and Gamora's story ends in yet another loss remains to be seen; but if not, the two will likely have to deal with the loss of other Guardians at some point. 

Footage of Gamora in the trailer, including that hero pose, suggest that this 2014 Gamora may undergo her own hero origin story in addition to coming to terms with old wounds. 

As always, it will be interesting to see how Gunn will incorporate this version of the character into the Guardians' last stand as he brings this beloved franchise to a close. 

But even though much of the film - and Gamora's story - remains a mystery, it's sure to be more powerful, heartfelt, and poignant than audiences expect. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives in theaters on May 5, 2023. 

James Gunn will likely make everyone's holiday season this year, with the white-haired writer-director dropping The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney+ sometime in the not-too-distant future.

The Holiday Special marks the first time the Guardians have been back under Gunn's full control since 2017. Sure, the rag-tag group of outlaws appeared in various MCU projects since then, including Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, and even the possibly canon I Am Groot, but this project will see the two-time MCU director back at the helm.

Even as Gunn is back as writer-director for the special, it seems that it will continue the more upbeat tone that has marked the team's recent appearances, with LEGO sets and comments from the man himself marking the special as more light-hearted than the upcoming Guardians 3.

Even so, beyond tone, character inclusions, and general release window, little is known about the upcoming special, including just how long it is. However, that just changed.

How Long Is Guardians of the Galaxy's Holiday Special?

Though not set to appear at this weekend's D23 Expo, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn did spend some time answering fan questions on Twitter about his upcoming MCU projects.

Responding to a question about the length of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Gunn noted that it would be "around 40 minutes."

Gunn also clarified when fans could expect the special, saying that "it's almost done."

When Will Fans See More From the Guardians Holiday Special?

With James Gunn's clarifications regarding length and release in mind, there are a few things that can be assumed about the upcoming The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

With the special nearing completion, it would make sense that a first look is not far away. However, it's also worth noting that Marvel has played coy with these special types of projects in the past.

For instance, the upcoming Werewolf by Night special, rumored to release in just over a month, still hasn't been officially announced. Similarly, the recently released I Am Groot only received a trailer less than three weeks before its Disney+ debut.

Beyond the unclear release timeline, Gunn's comments also shape what fans should expect from the special. About the length of an episode of a Disney+ MCU show, the Guardians Holiday Special seems to have enough time under its belt to deliver a solid, if slightly speedier experience. 

With Gunn's recent (and successful) exploration of short-form storytelling via Peacemaker, it seems clear that the director will be able to deliver with The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. However, for more of a sense of what to expect, fans will just have to keep waiting for official announcements from Marvel or perhaps from Gunn's own Twitter account.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s villain supports a big theory about Adam Warlock’s role in the movie. At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, it was confirmed that Peacemaker’s Chukwudi Iwuji will play the High Evolutionary in the final installment in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy saga. The classic Marvel Comics villain is poised to be the movie’s main villain.

The High Evolutionary is one of at least two characters expected to come to blows with Star-Lord’s team in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The other is Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock. Set up by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s post-credits scene, Warlock was created by the Sovereigns to take revenge on the Guardians. While an attempt could be made to fulfill his mission in the movie, there’s a strong likelihood that any plan to kill them will be abandoned by the end of the film. After all, Warlock is a major player in the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe and a character with a good chance of showing up in future MCU crossovers.

Multiple theories explain how Adam Warlock gets introduced and where he fits into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. One idea in particular feels extremely likely after the movie’s villain reveal. Not long after his introduction in Marvel Comics, Warlock was recruited by High Evolutionary, equipped with the Soul Stone, and sent on a mission to save a place called Counter-Earth. Since meeting the High Evolutionary is considered the true starting point of Warlock’s Marvel Comics journey, it was theorized even before the rumors of the character’s involvement that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would move in the same direction by putting Warlock in the service of an MCU interpretation of the High Evolutionary. After all, the movie using the character always felt like a real possibility because he provides an excellent explanation for Rocket Raccoon’s origin.

Why Adam Warlock Would Help The High Evolutionary

Adam Warlock joining forces with the High Evolutionary works for both the characters and the story. In Avengers: Infinity War, most of the Guardians died to the snap, thus preventing the MCU's Adam Warlock from completing the Sovereigns’ mission. If he can’t do what he was made to do, it stands to reason that the genetically-engineered being would be in need of a new purpose. That’s not at all unlike the state of mind his comic counterpart was in when he met the High Evolutionary. Having nothing better to do with his life, he agreed to become the High Evolutionary’s champion. It’s not hard to imagine Will Poulter’s MCU character ending up with the same motivations.

Furthermore, following the comics and aligning Adam Warlock with the High Evolutionary makes perfect sense for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Warlock represents a loose end from the Sovereign subplot from the second movie, whereas the High Evolutionary (a character known for transforming animals into anthropomorphic creatures) is at the center of a new story presumably tied to Rocket Raccoon’s origin. Instead of trying to do too much at once, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 can easily streamline its stories by roping Adam Warlock into the High Evolutionary’s schemes and making him the villain’s pawn.

Writer and director James Gunn explains how Yondu influences Star-Lord’s new “Awesome Mix” and, in turn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s soundtrack. Before being abducted by Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker) and the Ravagers in Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill a.k.a. Star-Lord was gifted two mix tapes by his mother, Meredith Quill on her deathbed. Both the first film and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s (a title inspired by Peter’s latest Awesome Mix) jukebox-worthy soundtracks correlated with their respective mix of tunes from the ‘70s Star-Lord played on his Sony Walkman.

Following Yondu’s heart-breaking sacrifice at the end of Vol. 2, Kraglin gives Peter a Microsoft Zune MP3 player as a gift from his late surrogate father. In addition to making the audience laugh with its dated technology, the moment further drew parallels between Yondu and Peter and the latter and his mom—who similarly gave him the gift of music at the end of her life. While the first two films’ soundtracks represented the mixes complied by Meredith Quill, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will come from Yondu's Zune.

Gunn recently took to Twitter to clear up some confusion regarding the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtracks. When asked if a master mix would be released after Vol. 3 hits theaters, Gunn explained that Meredith Quill’s Complete Awesome Mix is already available on Spotify. Given that Meredith didn’t pick the songs on Peter’s Zune, that complete mix will remain separate from Vol. 3’s soundtrack. Check out the exchange with fans below:

No, they'll never be on this list because Meredith didn't pick the songs on the Zune, so they're different from the songs in Vol 1 and 2 (although Yondu may or may not have deleted songs he didn't like off of it). https://t.co/TLrGA3BB0e

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 26, 2022

MCU Phase 5's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could finally settle the questions about what happened to 2014 Gamora after Avengers: Endgame. The MCU's original Gamora died in Avengers: Infinity War after she was sacrificed by Thanos to obtain the Soul Stone on Vormir. During the Battle of Earth in Avengers: Endgame, the Gamora from an alternate 2014 was brought to the Avengers' present and helped to fight against Thanos. After that, 2014 Gamora disappeared, and it remains unclear what happened to Gamora after Endgame, and why Gamora is a Ravager in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 trailer.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 faces a huge challenge in fleshing out the events in Gamora's life after Avengers: Endgame and before the third Guardians movie. At the same time, this also presents an opportunity to tell a What If...?-like story within a canon MCU movie. 2014 Gamora is essentially a new MCU character, as she hasn't appeared in any other MCU project following Avengers: Endgame. Though she learns about what happens to the original Gamora through the mind link between Nebula's past and present selves, 2014 Gamora also never joined the Guardians of the Galaxy, and her only heroic deed was being part of the efforts to defeat Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. In MCU Phase 5, Gamora is almost a blank slate. Like the original Gamora, 2014 Gamora is Thanos' favorite daughter, but all of her choices - beginning in Avengers: Endgame - are uniquely her own.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 can and should resolve 2014 Gamora's missing story, as it is the only real way to complete not just the character's "resurrection," but also the full original roster of the titular Marvel team. Whether or not Gamora chooses to join the Guardians of the Galaxy, the full weight of this choice can only be expressed if audiences actually know what Gamora did after leaving the battlefield in Avengers: Endgame. No one - least of all a former member of the genocidal Children of Thanos - joins the Ravagers for no reason. In fact, it's even possible that Gamora joined the Ravagers instead of the Guardians in order to protect both herself and the Guardians of the Galaxy - especially Nebula - from being hunted by the survivors of Thanos' planetary genocides. Thanos' secret child, the healer Thane, could even make his MCU debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, as the MCU Phase 5 movie will no doubt reveal more about Gamora's past and what she's been up to during MCU Phase 4.

Will Gamora And Star-Lord Get Together In Guardians Vol. 3?

 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 also has the opportunity to continue the star-crossed love story between Gamora and Peter Quill. Though 2014 Gamora has no firsthand memories of the original Gamora's actions, Nebula's mind link allowed Gamora to learn about everything that transpired between the first Gamora and the other Guardians. This means that she is aware of Star-Lord's heroic actions, which was why the original Gamora fell in love with Quill in the first place. On the other hand, this also means that 2014 Gamora knows how Star-Lord let Thanos win in Avengers: Infinity War because he was emotional about losing Gamora. This could lead 2014 Gamora to decide that Star-Lord would be a better Guardian if he wasn't emotionally attached to her.

How Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 handles Gamora and Star-Lord's future is ultimately contingent on Gamora's past. Whatever led Gamora to join the Ravagers will ultimately affect whether or not she chooses to be with Peter Quill. In any case, audiences can expect to learn more about Gamora's missing MCU Phase 4 story in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

It’s been a week since San Diego Comic Con. Even so, Marvel fans are still recovering from all the major reveals and trailers. One of the biggest films to make a splash at SDCC was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 which showed its first trailer. While the footage wasn’t released to the public, director James Gunn has shared new behind-the-scenes photos of the production's farewell dinner.

The two polaroids shared to Gunn’s twitter sees most of the trilogy capper’s major players. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Maria Bakalova, Nico Santos, Natasha Halevim, Jennifer Holland, and Gunn are seen living their best life at the dinner. Dave Bautista is notably not in either image because he came towards the end of the dinner according to Gunn. Bradley Cooper and Van Diesel are also not present at the dinner due to the fact that they weren’t on set during filming as their characters Rocket and Groot are voice over performances.

Vol. 3 marks the end of an era for the MCU. This film will mark the last time we see this version of the Guardians team while ushering in new exciting elements into the universe like Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock who has been teased since the end of Vol. 2. Characters like Cosmo the Spacedog(Bakalova) and the villainous High Evolutionary(Chukwudi Iwuji) will be featured in Vol. 3 as well. On top of that, the film has been teased to have a more mature story than fans are used to with the MCU and particularly this oddball group of characters. From the footage shown at SDCC, we know it will have a heavy focus on Rocket’s backstory and Star-Lord is dealing with the fact that a Gamora from a different timeline is now in their universe.

Marvel Studios announced the much-anticipated return of everybody’s favorite band of space misfits, the Guardians of the Galaxy, at Saturday’s San Diego Comic-Con showcase. New footage from the film was screened for rapt fans inside the hallowed Hall H, teasing the return of some beloved familiar faces, as well as the introduction of new characters.

Actor Chukwudi Iwuji, who previously collaborated with writer-director James Gunn on the HBO Max series Peacemaker, was revealed to be playing the High Evolutionary, and a first look at Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock was also teased in the footage screened for fans. But more than anything else, it was the appearance of a young Rocket Raccoon that perhaps revealed the direction in which Gunn is going to take the film.

Now, even though both previous Guardians of the Galaxy movies have flirted with heavy themes, the official synopsis for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 suggests the trilogy-capping third installment could perhaps be a more intense affair than previously imagined. Here it is:

Everyone loves when Marvel Studios holds its big presentations. Hearing new announcements about what might be coming to the MCU is exciting for many—it’s basically like Christmas. It’s been a while since anything like that has happened, but now, it’s time for that to change. San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) has commenced, and Marvel Studios will be holding a big Hall H presentation. But what will be the biggest project to be showcased? Well, one notable contender could be Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Fans have been waiting for what has felt like a lifetime for the highly anticipated sequel. The entire team will be returning with the original director, James Gunn, leading the charge.

Rumor has it that the crew will be going up against Chukwudi Iwuji’s High Evolutionary. They’ll also have to contend with a newly created Adam Warlock, who will be played by Will Poulter.

In a new interview, Poulter discussed his time on the project while also teasing a potential SDCC appearance—something the film’s director also backed up.

Guardians Vol. 3 at Comic-Con Teased

In an interview with This Morning, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 actor Will Poulter talked about his time in the role of Adam Warlock, also teasing an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con.

Poulter noted that before signing on, “[he] was a [Marvel] fan,” especially when it came to the Guardians themselves.

With San Diego Comic-Con having started, many fans are wondering if they’ll see Vol. 3 make an appearance at Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel. While not admitting it verbatim, Poulter did let it slip that he would be “heading out to Comic-Con pretty soon" when discussing his new role in the Marvel universe.

More signs of Guardians 3's presence at SDCC came from the franchise’s director, James Gunn. On Twitter, Gunn responded to someone’s excited SDCC tweet proclaiming that Marvel Studios was heading to Hall H by simply asking, “Oh yeah?”

He then proceeded to ask the collective internet, “who is going to the Marvel Hall H presentation this Saturday at #SDCC?”

As an extra little tidbit, when asked if Adam Warlock was making his first appearance in Vol. 3 as opposed to The Holiday Special, the director simply answered, "yes."

What Will Marvel Announce at Comic-Con 2022?

Early reports indicated that fans might want to temper their expectations of what they hope to see Marvel show off at its big panel. Some sources seem to believe the studio is aiming to save most of its big stuff for D23 in September.

At the least, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and She-Hulk will both get a spotlight during the presentation. Hopefully, there will be some room for more small teases of other projects, especially given how Marvel has half-a-dozen projects that have already completed production.

Given these signs from James Gunn and Will Poulter, it does seem pretty certain that Vol. 3 will make an appearance of some sort—likely an exclusive reel of footage showcasing bits and pieces from the upcoming blockbuster. While the footage isn’t likely to be released publicly, hopefully, it’ll give audiences some glimpses of Adam Warlock’s full look and maybe even the first sneak peek of the High Evolutionary.

It wouldn't be too surprising if Gunn also threw in the first footage of Cosmo there as well—after all, who doesn’t want to see everyone’s favorite space dog?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5, 2023.