Zoe Saldaña has been a part of the MCU for nearly a decade, but the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to the actor's swansong in the superhero franchise.
"I think the time has come for me to step down, and for the next generation to come forward," Saldaña tells Total Film magazine in the upcoming issue, which features Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny on the cover.
"The one thing I would not want is for Gamora to go away. She’s been such an impactful character for fans, and especially female fans, and young female fans. I would love for Marvel to figure out a way to find that next generation of actors that can incarnate these characters, and give them this immortality that fans generationally keep coming back to… But me, per se? I mean, I signed up for one, and I got 10 years. Lucky me, man. I have no complaints. And I’m moving on with so much grace and gratitude in my heart."
Saldaña made her Marvel debut in 2014 with the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie and went on to star in the 2017 sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, as well as both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
In the latter, her character dies at the hands of her father Thanos, who had to sacrifice a loved one to get his hands on the Soul Stone. However, a younger version of the character traveled to the present, and it's this iteration of Gamora that Saldaña will be playing in the Guardians threequel.
"[This Gamora’s] not a Guardian. She doesn’t remember them. They never happened. She never happened for them," she explains to Total Film. "It’s really hard, I think, for the Guardians to accept that difference, especially Quill and [her sister] Nebula. It was fun – and painful, of course – to play this kind of Gamora."
You can also check out the exclusive new image of Gamora from the upcoming movie above.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens in cinemas on May 3. This is just a snippet of our interview with the cast and director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in the new issue of Total Film magazine when it hits shelves (and digital newsstands) this Thursday, April 27. Check out the covers below:
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