Following the departure of Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johansson from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it seems more exits are…well, inevitable. With James Gunn taking a top role (alongside Peter Safran) over at DC Studios for Warner Bros. Discovery, the future of the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise now appears uncertain.

Following the release of the critically acclaimed The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, the Guardians are set to reunite one more time in Gunn’s final Marvel film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. This time around, they will also be joined by Zoe Saldaña’s Gamora who didn’t appear in the Holiday Special. And while the actor’s character was resurrected after being killed off in Avengers: Infinity War, Saldaña is hinting that the film might mark Gamora’s last MCU appearance.

James Gunn Said That Upcoming Film Marks The ‘End Of The Story Of The Guardians’

Longtime fans of Gunn’s Marvel franchise must be feeling bittersweet at the moment. While they can expect to see more of the Guardians soon enough, the director has also hinted that there would be no more Guardians movies after the third film.

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“It's got the fun that we expect from the Guardians. But it's also an incredibly serious story in some ways, where we tell the end of the story of the Guardians and the end of the story of Rocket and where he came from,” Gunn explained. “We need to go back to the beginning to tell the ending.”

That said, the director is remaining mum about what awaits the characters in the upcoming film. “I think you have to see Vol. 3 to find out,” Gunn said. “We'll see where they go. But this is definitely the end of their stories, this specific group of Guardians.”

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 essentially picks up after the events of Gunn’s Holiday Special. And as the director has teased, the film features some elements which are “going to be important in Vol. 3.” “The fact that we had Cosmo the dog, the fact that they have this amazing spaceship called the Bowie that's four stories tall in real life... They've bought Nowhere from The Collector, that's their home base now -- all of those things are important to Vol. 3,” the director also hinted.

Meanwhile, in Vol. 3, Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill would also still be reeling from the loss of Gamora (since Avengers: Endgame), so it remains unclear how she will end up reuniting with the rest of the Guardians in the story. Similarly, fans would have to wait and see how Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock will be introduced.

Zoe Saldaña Is Already Hinting Of A ‘Sweet Departure’ From Marvel

And while no one knows what will happen in the Guardians franchise next, fans are certainly happy to learn that Saldaña is back as Gamora in the upcoming movie. The actress has been in the MCU for almost a decade now, making a debut in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy before doing three more films.

Vol. 3 would be her fifth film for Marvel. And Saldaña is possibly hinting that it would also be her last.

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“[Filming] started bitter in the beginning cause obviously you're anticipating the end, but I'm just so happy that once again I got to work with great people,” she explained.

“I had an evolution that I witnessed of myself, but also my director and my cast. I just felt very blessed and grateful. It was a very sweet departure, I have to say.”

Is Zoe Saldaña Willing To Return To Marvel After Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3?

Since Gunn took up his new role for DC Studios, Marvel hasn’t said anything about the future of the franchise beyond its third film. And while some of Saldaña’s longtime co-stars have hinted that they’re ready to leave the MCU, the actress isn’t completely ruling out the possibility of doing more Marvel projects. That said, continuing the role has always been quite the undertaking.

“I can never say no to anything, but that green makeup? I wouldn’t be upset if it didn’t happen again,” Saldaña remarked. “I miss Gamora but I don’t miss 3:30 a.m. calls and five-hour makeup sessions and trips to the dermatologist afterwards.”

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Despite these, however, playing Gamora has been a real honor for the actress, especially knowing how much the character means to fans.

“Every time that you know that 8-year-old or that dad and mom or those generational fans that remind me that what I did was special to them, it makes me not be cynical about Marvel,” Saldaña said.

“They have feelings too and if something impacts them, just because we consider it stupid or immature or cheeky, doesn’t mean it’s not special.”

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is scheduled for theatrical release on May 5, 2023.