The Marvel Cinematic Universe is nearing its 20-year anniversary, and many fans have been watching the Marvel movies in order since Day 1. The shared universe (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) has a few fan favorite franchises, chief among them being James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy. I've been missing Nebula and the rest of the team, but Karen Gillan recently gave me some hope about their return.
The end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 saw the team splitting up and going their separate ways. The final title card confirmed that Chris Pratt's Star-Lord would return to the MCU eventually, which put doubt into whether or not we'd ever see everyone else. In an interview with The Direct, Gillan was asked if there's a chance we'll see Nebula back in upcoming Marvel movies, with the actress responding with:
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.
Honestly, I'll take it. This isn't a confirmation about if/when we'll see the Blue Meanie back in the shared universe, but the fact that Karen Gillan is in contact with the powers that be at Marvel is a hopeful message. Nebula is one of my favorite characters in the entire MCU, and I'd love any opportunity to catch up with her sometime in the future.
When we last saw Nebula, she and Drax were committed to staying on Knowhere and raising the children that they saved from the villainous High Evolutionary. I'd love to se how this was going, as well as how Karen Gillan's character stands with her the revived Gamora. There are certainly narrative threads to pull from, so let's hope that the studio moves forward with a project that includes Nebula.
James Gunn is departing as co-CEO of DC Studios, which might offer some hope for Guardians of the Galaxy fans who want to see more from the cosmic team of heroes. Now that his schedule is freed up, perhaps he'll be inspired enough to explore what happened after Vol. 3. After all, Marvel fans adore the Guardians.
For now fans can re-watch Karen Gillan's tenure as Nebula on Disney+. That includes the three Guardians movies, the Holiday Special, as well as appearances in Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame, and Thor: Love and Thunder.
The next MCU movie hitting theaters is Avengers: Doomsday on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. We'll just have to see if the Guardians of the Galaxy end up popping up in that movie or its sequel Secret Wars.
