Karen Gillan may not be quite ready to bid farewell to Nebula after all.
At the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the cybernetic former villain decided to remain on Knowhere with Drax and build a proper home for the children they rescued from the High Evolutionary's ship. Though the door was left open for the character to return down the line, Gillan has previously indicated that she was ready to move on from the role.
It sounds like she may have had a change of heart!
Gillan was asked if she's "had any communication" with Marvel about a potential MCU return during an interview with The Direct.
"Maybe... You know I can't tell you that [laughs]. I have Marvel snipers on me. I have definitely spoken to them. Whether or not that was about making another appearance or not is a different story. Okay, waffle without saying anything at all. I'm still going. Basically, no spoilers over here."
Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) is the only team member expected to appear in Avengers: Secret Wars, but we'd be surprised if Marvel didn't revisit the GOTG franchise at some point, with or without James Gunn's involvement.
While Vol. 3 did serve as a fitting send-off for the team, it also laid the groundwork for potential follow-ups/spin-offs at the same time. One post-credits scene introduced a new incarnation of the crew led by Rocket Raccoon, and the other teased the possibility of a solo Star-Lord adventure, with Peter Quill returning to Earth to reconnect with his grandfather.
Quill and Nebula had developed a close relationship by the end of Vol. 3, so there's always a chance Gillan could reprise the role for that project - if it comes together.
"In Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere. But it isn’t long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past." "Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life—a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them."
Gunn writes and directs Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, and Maria Bakalova. Kevin Feige is the producer and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nikolas Korda, Simon Hatt, and Sara Smith serve as executive producers.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now available on Digital platforms and Disney+.