Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: Karen Gillan Teases Nebula's Post-Thanos Rebuilding Plans

By Liam Crowley Posted:
Nebula will be "rebuilding her life" in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Perhaps the most emotionally-traumatized character leaving the two-part climax of the Infinity Saga was Nebula.

The daughter of Thanos spent all her life trying to please her abusive father, just for him to replace much of her body with robotics . After mending her relationship with her estranged sister , Nebula was met with the cruel realization that Thanos sacrificed her life for a rock . Beyond that, Nebula had to go one-on-one with herself, eventually killing the more sinister past Nebula.

With all that on her plate, it is expected than Nebula's mental state will be a little more difficult to master than a game of finger-flickin' football.

NEWS

Karen Gillan has opened up about her character's future. Speaking on a virtual panel at GalaxyCon Live , the actress detailed Nebula's psyche now that Thanos is permanently out of her life.

I'm sort of thinking about future Nebula in the sense like, 'What is she going to be like now that that person's abuse has gone out of her life? How is she going to build herself back up again?' Because it's an odd feeling, I think, for someone who's been abused by a parent, because they still love them and they're sad that they're gone, but also they hate them and they're glad that they're gone."

Gillan also said that she is "interested to maybe try and take [Nebula] to a place now where she's starting to rebuild her life."

WHAT THIS MEANS

Details about the third installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise have been kept under wraps, so it is refreshing to hear some details about one of its main characters.

Nebula's aforementioned trauma is unparalleled in the MCU. She is a victim of physical and mental abuse, and clearly had struggles with identity. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 offers the cobalt-skinned Guardian a "fresh start" of sorts, as her past is officially behind her (symbolized by present-day Nebula pulling the trigger on her villanous past-self ).

Gillan also referenced the struggles that abuse victims deal with when that person is officially gone. Deep down, it is evident that Nebula still cared for Thanos up until his decapitation, as tears shed down her aquatic-colored face . While Nebula went through a face turn in 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 , her baggage didn't officially die until the Mad Titan crumbled to dust at the end of Avengers: Endgame.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently without a release date and will be released no earlier than 2023.

- In This Article: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Release Date
May 05, 2023
Platform
Theaters
- About The Author: Liam Crowley

MCU Writer, Editor, Podcaster