Gamora (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

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Gamora
Marvel Cinematic Universe character
Zoe Saldana as Gamora.jpeg
Zoe Saldana as Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
First appearanceGuardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Based onGamora
by Jim Starlin
Adapted by
  • James Gunn
  • Nicole Perlman
Portrayed by
  • Zoe Saldana
  • Ariana Greenblatt (young)
In-universe information
Full nameGamora
Nickname"Fiercest Woman in the Galaxy"
SpeciesZehoberi[1]
Occupation
  • Guardian
  • Assassin
Affiliation
Weapon
  • Retractable sword[2]
  • Bejeweled knife
  • Various firearms and bladed weapons
Family
  • Thanos (adoptive father)
  • Nebula (adoptive sister)
  • Corvus Glaive (adoptive brother)
  • Cull Obsidian (adoptive brother)
  • Ebony Maw (adoptive brother)
  • Proxima Midnight (adoptive sister)
Significant otherPeter Quill[a]
Zoe Saldana portrays Gamora within the MCU

Gamora is a fictional character portrayed by Zoe Saldana in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film franchise, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Gamora is a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, having escaped her previous life as an assassin after she was forcibly adopted by Thanos after he eliminated half of her planet's race, including her mother. For 20 years, she serves as a cybernetically enhanced warrior who serves Thanos on his quest to erase half of all life in the universe.[3] She becomes romantically involved with Peter Quill, with that relationship continuing until her death at the hands of Thanos. Later, an alternate version of the character from before the events of Guardians of the Galaxy is brought forward into the MCU.

As of 2021, the character has appeared in four MCU films, beginning with Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. The character appeared again in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in 2017, followed by Avengers: Infinity War in 2018, and Avengers: Endgame in 2019. She will return in the upcoming film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the upcoming Disney+ animated series What If...?.

Concept and creation[]

Gamora debuted as a comic book character in Strange Tales #180 (1975), and was created by Jim Starlin. She returned in issue #181, Warlock vol. 1 #9, 10, 11 and 15 (1975-1976), and in the 1977 annuals for Avengers and Marvel Two-in-One. In 1990, she returned in Silver Surfer vol. 3 #46-47. She had a minor role in Infinity Gauntlet #1-6 (1991) and co-starred in Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1-42 (1992-1995). She was also featured in the Infinity War (1992) and Infinity Crusade (1993) crossovers. After appearing in Infinity Abyss #1-6 (2002), Annihilation: Ronan #1-4 (2006), Annihilation #1-6 (2006), Annihilation: Conquest #6 (2008) and Nova vol. 4 #4-12 (2007-2008), Gamora costarred in Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 #1-25 (2008-2010).

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige first mentioned Guardians of the Galaxy as a potential film at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International, stating, "There are some obscure titles, too, like Guardians of the Galaxy. I think they've been revamped recently in a fun way in the [comic] book."[4] Feige reiterated that sentiment in a September 2011 issue of Entertainment Weekly, saying, "There's an opportunity to do a big space epic, which Thor sort of hints at, in the cosmic side" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Feige added, should the film be made, it would feature an ensemble of characters, similar to X-Men and The Avengers.[5] Feige announced that the film was in active development at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International during the Marvel Studios panel, with an intended release date of August 1, 2014. He said the film's titular team would consist of the characters Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Groot, and Rocket.[6]

In early April 2013, Zoe Saldana entered into negotiations to star as Gamora in the film, and it was confirmed she had been cast later that month.[7][8] Amanda Seyfried had been offered the role, but declined due to the excessive hours of make-up required for the role, and her uncertainty over the film's commercial viability.[9]

Characterization[]

Gamora is an orphan from an alien world who seeks redemption for her past crimes. She was trained by Thanos to be his personal assassin.[10][11][12] Saldana said that she became Gamora through make-up rather than computer-generated imagery (CGI) or performance capture.[13] On taking the role, Saldana said, "I was just excited to be asked to join by James Gunn and to also play someone green. I've been blue before [in Avatar]."[14] Saldana described Gamora as "... a warrior, she's an assassin and she's very lethal, but what saves her is the same thing that can doom her. She has a sense of righteousness. She's a very righteous individual."[15]

She appears as a member of the original Guardians of the Galaxy, eventually finding love with Quill as seen in Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2.[16] Saldana described Gamora's role in Vol. 2, as the team's "the voice of reason", saying, "She's surrounded by all these dudes who are so stupid half the time,"[17] and added that she is the "Mom" of the team, saying that she is "just a meticulous, detailed, professional individual."[18] Regarding Gamora's relationship with Nebula, Saldana described it as "volatile" and added, "we're starting somewhere very crazy but appropriate given where we had ended things off in the first installment".[19]

In Avengers: Infinity War, Gamora is still in a relationship with Quill. She is captured by Thanos and taken to Vormir where she is killed so Thanos can receive the Soul Stone. Ariana Greenblatt portrays a young Gamora in Infinity War in a flashback, as well as when she is with Thanos in the Soul Stone's 'Soul World'.

A version of the character from the 2014 alternate timeline, also played by Saldana, travels with her adoptive father Thanos to 2023 to fight the Avengers, but is later convinced by Nebula to side with them against Thanos. This version of Gamora does not know the Guardians and has no romantic history with Peter Quill due to the events of Guardians of the Galaxy having not yet having occurred in her timeline. She first appeared in the film Avengers: Endgame and is expected to return in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.[20]

Another version will appear in the upcoming Disney+ animated series What If...?. This version sports Thanos's armor and blade from Avengers: Endgame.[21]

Fictional character biography[]

Original version[]

Origin[]

As a child, Gamora's planet was invaded by Thanos, whose forces killed half the population. Gamora confronted Thanos, who admired her courage in doing so, with Thanos adopting her as his daughter. She was trained as an assassin, and raised alongside Nebula, whom she was often pitted against in fights, in which Gamora always won.

Guardian of the Galaxy[]

Further information: Guardians of the Galaxy (film) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Gamora plans to rebel against Thanos when he sends her to aid Ronan the Accuser, a Kree fanatic who wants to destroy the planet Xandar. She travels to Xandar to retrieve the Infinity Stone that has been acquired by Peter Quill in order to sell it for enough money to afford to live the rest of her life. Due to the interference of bounty hunters Rocket and Groot, she is instead captured by Xandar's law enforcement and sent to a space prison called the Kyln, along with Quill, Rocket and Groot. There, she is threatened by Drax the Destroyer, whose family was killed by Ronan under the command of Thanos, but Drax spares her life when Quill assures him that her presence will draw Ronan to them. Gamora then joins Quill, Rocket, Groot, and Drax in escaping the prison. The group form the Guardians of the Galaxy and travel to Knowhere, where Gamora meets with the Collector. After being attacked by Nebula, Gamora and the Guardians are able to save Xandar from Ronan. Because of her heroic actions, Gamora is cleared of her previous crimes.

Some months later, Gamora and the Guardians are hired by the Sovereign to fight off an alien attacking their valuable batteries, in exchange for a captured Nebula. After they leave, they are chased by the Sovereign fleet after Rocket reveals to them that he stole some of the batteries. Crash-landing on a planet, they meet Quill's father, Ego. Gamora, Quill, and Drax decide to go with Ego to his planet, while Rocket, Groot, and Nebula stay behind. On Ego's planet, they meet Ego's assistant Mantis, and Gamora and Quill begin a romantic relationship. While exploring the planet, Gamora is attacked by an escaped Nebula. After Gamora saves Nebula from her burning spaceship, the two sisters reconcile. They meet up with the Guardians and find out about Ego's true evil plans. She and Nebula then help each other get to safety while escaping the planet, and once in space, she and Nebula say their goodbyes, after Nebula tells her that she's going after Thanos.[22]

Infinity War and death[]

Further information: Avengers: Infinity War

Four years later, Gamora and the Guardians respond to a distress signal in space and end up rescuing Thor from his destroyed spacecraft, thereby learning about Thanos's quest to obtain the Infinity Stones. Gamora tearfully tells Quill that she knows something Thanos doesn't and asks him to kill her if needed. On Knowhere, Gamora, Quill, Mantis, and Drax see Thanos, and Gamora immediately attacks him, seemingly killing him. However, Thanos reveals himself, showing her that Knowhere is on fire and that he already has the Reality Stone. After a failed attempt to kill her by Quill, Thanos kidnaps her and takes her upon his spaceship. He shows her a captured and tortured Nebula to emotionally manipulate Gamora into revealing the location of the Soul Stone. Thanos and Gamora go to the planet Vormir where they are met by the Red Skull who tells them that to obtain the Soul Stone, one must sacrifice what they love. Thanos admits that he truly loves Gamora as his daughter, and tearfully throws her off the cliff to her death. When Thanos later uses the completed Infinity Gauntlet, he briefly reunites with a younger Gamora inside the Soul World.

Alternate version[]

Further information: Avengers: Endgame

An alternate version of Gamora from 2014 is present when Thanos captures a time-travelling 2023 version of Nebula and discovers that his future self has succeeded in assembling the Infinity Gauntlet and eliminating half of life in the universe, but that surviving Avengers are preparing to undo this. Brought to 2023 with Thanos and his army, Gamora is convinced by the 2023 version Nebula to fight against him and she joins the final battle. She is met by Quill, who is relieved at her apparent return, but she doesn't know him and knocks him to the ground. She survives Tony Stark's snap, but does not attend his funeral, and her whereabouts are thereafter unknown.

Reception[]

Saldana has received numerous award nominations for her portrayal of the character.

Award Year Category Work Result Ref(s)
Black Reel Awards
2015
 Best Supporting Actress Guardians of the Galaxy Nominated
[23]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards
2015
 Best Actress in an Action Movie Guardians of the Galaxy Nominated
[24]
MTV Movie Awards
2015
 Best On-Screen Transformation Nominated
[25]
People's Choice Awards
2015
 Favorite Action Movie Actress Guardians of the Galaxy Nominated
[26]
Teen Choice Awards
2017
 Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Won
[27]
Choice MovieShip (shared with Chris Pratt) Nominated
2018
 Choice Liplock (shared with Chris Pratt) Avengers: Infinity War Nominated
[28]
Choice Actress: Action Nominated
2019
 Avengers: Endgame Nominated
[29]
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
2019
 Favorite Movie Actress Avengers: Infinity War Nominated
[30]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Original timeline self

See also[]

  • Characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

References[]

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  2. ^ "Gamora On Screen Full Report". marvel.com. Marvel. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Sanderson, Sara (April 29, 2017). "Guardians Of The Galaxy: 16 Things You Didn't Know About Gamora". screenrant.com. Screen Rant. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  4. ^ Wigler, Josh (August 6, 2010). "Marvel Considering 'Iron Fist' & 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' Movies, 'Black Panther' & 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' Too!". MTV News. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
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  17. ^ Truitt, Brian (February 2, 2017). "Sneak peek: 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' aims for bigger, better sci-fi". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  18. ^ Nemiroff, Perri (February 6, 2017). "'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2': 40 Things We Learned from Our Set Visit". Collider. Archived from the original on February 6, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
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  23. ^ "Nominees". Black Reel Awards. Archived from the original on December 23, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
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  30. ^ Howard, Annie (February 26, 2019). "Kids' Choice Awards: 'Avengers: Infinity War' Tops Nominees; DJ Khaled to Host". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 27, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2021.

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