Avengers: Endgame Secretly Rebooted Guardians of the Galaxy’s MCU Story

Avengers: Endgame secretly rebooted the Guardians of the Galaxy’s Marvel Cinematic Universe story. The film reintroduces fans to the past version of Gamora, who joined Peter Quill, her sister Nebula, and the Guardians in 2023 in a bid to defeat Thanos. Because of the time travel situation, Endgame changed the fates of Gamora and Peter Quill, who was still in search of Gamora in the present. The film effectively reimagines their stories and sets them on an entirely new path that paves the way for a rebooted take on their characters. 

Gamora was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, thrown off the edge of the cliff on the planet Vormir so that the Mad Titan would be able to obtain the Soul Stone. Her death was permanent and when Iron Man snapped his fingers in Endgame, Gamora was not one of the millions who returned. However, the film does introduce a previous version of the character, one who is still working alongside Thanos and fighting with Nebula, not knowing what is in store for her future. However, 2014 Gamora decides to help her sister and the Guardians defeat Thanos and manages to stick around in the aftermath instead of returning to her original timeline. 

This changes everything. Time travel is complicated and, while Endgame insists that nothing can be changed in the present, fighting the 2014 version of Thanos altered the course of history in the year that he left. Without him, Gamora and Peter Quill may not have met up with the rest of the Guardians. In this vein, Endgame’s time traveling shenanigans effectively rewrites Gamora’s story with the Guardians of the Galaxy, with her original character and relationship development with Quill erased due to the plot. 

Past Gamora is now where she isn’t supposed to be and this paves the way for a brand new start. It’s a rekindling of old relationships, but with a fun twist on an already established character. The fact that she’s from a different time might erase a lot of her growth, but it also affords her a new lease on life in the wake of Thanos’ actions. In Endgame, Quill continues in search of 2014 Gamora, who (during a deleted scene) walks away in the aftermath of Tony Stark’s death. Where she may have gone is unclear, but the fact that she remains in the post-Endgame world means that there’s hope she’ll be around for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a film that will surely provide her with a reimagined story. 

Of course, 2014 Gamora’s presence isn’t the only way for the Guardians to get a fresh start. At the end of Endgame, Nebula and Thor join Quill, Rocket Raccoon, Drax, Mantis, and Groot as they prepare for their next space adventure. Their additions will likely change the dynamics of the entire team, who have grown accustomed to the way things were. Quill will probably butt heads a lot with Thor over leadership and make friends with the rest of the crew. Meanwhile, it might take some time for the Guardians to fully embrace Nebula considering her previous history with Gamora, but her presence will likely spice things up in a good way. All told, Endgame provides the Guardians with a soft reboot that will hopefully be as fascinating as they are. 

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Mae Abdulbaki
(1083 Articles Published)

Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

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