It’s strange to think that in an early script for 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the character of Nebula was originally written to die. Thanks to subsequent rewrites, not only has Karen Gillan’s hero persisted for several more movies, but she now stands as one of the lucky survivors of the snap, and is expected to be among the key players in the upcoming Avengers: Endgame.
That being said, there’s always the possibility that Nebula will end her run with the Avengers: Infinity War sequel. And should this be the case, Gillan has told Empire that she’d be sad to see her go:
“I think I would be really sad to say goodbye. I’ve loved her from the moment I auditioned for her. She’s evolved from a villain to someone we’ve developed empathy towards. I think she’s going to be a character we’re all rooting for.”
Nebula has certainly evolved heavily over the years, from one of Ronan the Accuser’s goons, to one of the main heroes of Endgame. The latest trailer even sees her dressed in the same white uniform as the Phase 1 Avengers, suggesting that she’s now officially one of the gang.
Though it remains unclear what’s in store for Nebula in next month’s release, Gillan told People last year that her character will “confront some serious daddy issues” in her next movie, indicating that her messy history with Thanos will soon be coming to a head.
But while this particular plot thread may be coming to a close, the fact that Gillan has seen the script for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 suggests that Nebula might well have a future in the franchise. Regardless, we’ll see what’s next for the character when Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26th.