‘Thor: Love and Thunder’: Which Guardians of the Galaxy Member is Missing?
At this point, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor is among the only original Avengers still active in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The character’s evolution has outpaced much of his peers. And in Thor: Love and Thunder – his fourth solo movie – the God of Thunder is joined by some intergalactic friends, the Guardians of the Galaxy. But the new film is one Guardian short of the full line-up.
The Guardians of the Galaxy return in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’
Thor: Love and Thunder is the first time any of these characters have been on screen since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy were among the legions of heroes who faced down Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his army in that film’s epic final showdown. And the way it ended certainly implied Thor intended to spend a bit more time with his fellow heroes.
At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Thor appoints Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) the new king of Asgard, and promptly hitches a ride off-world with the Guardians of the Galaxy. He then shares another awkward moment with Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) as the latter asserts his leadership. And the trailers and released footage for Thor: Love and Thunder confirm the Guardians will make an appearance.
1 key member of the team doesn’t appear alongside Thor
In the lead-up to the movie’s theatrical debut, Marvel Studios released a TV spot confirming every Guardians of the Galaxy member who appears. Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Kraglin (Sean Gunn), Star-Lord, Nebula (Karen Gillan), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), and Drax (Dave Bautista) all stand alongside Thor. However, one hero remains missing from the group.
As MCU fans know, Thanos sacrificed Gamora (Zoe Saldana) for the Soul Stone in Avengers: Infinity War. Though a time-traveling Gamora from 2014 journeyed to 2023 in Avengers: Endgame, this version of the character has no memory of Star-Lord or anyone else in the Guardians aside from sister Nebula. So far, her whereabouts are unknown. And it doesn’t look like Thor: Love and Thunder will change that.
How will Gamora return in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’?
Director Taika Waititi has a lot of fun in store for fans with Thor: Love and Thunder. But it stands to reason he wouldn’t address major story points affecting the Guardians. After all, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set for release on May 5, 2023. And the entire principal cast –including Saldana — is onboard for what is said to be the final film in the series.
At this point, there’s no indication of how the movie will address Gamora’s place in the team. Will she fall for Star-Lord again like the previous version of the character? Will the memories of the time she spent with the Guardians be restored? Besides the addition of Will Poulter as Adam Warlock (via IMDb), there are far more questions than answers. Fans will just have to sit tight until then.
