Guardians 3: Looks Like Nebula Is Getting An Upgrade

Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to begin with Ant-Man 3, and there are a number of highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies heading to theaters. Chief among them is James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which is expected to end the story of the current team of cosmic heroes. There’s no telling what the upcoming threequel might contain, but it seems like the beloved characters could go seemingly anywhere. And it looks like Nebula is getting an upgrade in Guardians 3.

Karen Gillan’s character Nebula has had one of the most fascinating arcs in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, going from antagonist, to ally, to a true Avenger/Guardian. The “blue meanie” is also a source of A+ comedy, as seen in her brief but hilarious appearance in the Holiday Special. And a promotional image from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 shows that Nebula is seemingly going to get an upgrade in the form of a new arm. Check out the evidence below:

Well, I’m definitely intrigued. While we haven’t seen all that much from Nebula from the limited press materials for Guardians 3, it should be fun to see where her story ultimately ends up. And after being experimented on by Thanos growing up, Nebula now has autonomy over any upgrades she might acquire. Could this new arm be a powerful new weapon for Karen Gillan’s fan-favorite character? Only time will tell. Hopefully Rocket doesn’t set his targets on it like Bucky’s Vibranium arm.

The above image is one of just a few images from Guardians 3 that have been released to the public. In it we can see four members of the motley crew assembled and seemingly having a serious conversation. Clad in their fancy new uniforms, we see Drax, Mantis, Star-Lord and (of course) Nebula herself. We’ll just have to wait and see what they might be discussing when the long-awaited blockbuster finally hits theaters this May. As a reminder, you can re-watch the first trailer for the James Gunn threequel below.

While helping to buoy anticipation for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, this footage definitely has fans worried about the fate of the team. Rocket looks like he’s in particular danger, and the footage of both Mantis and Peter weeping has definitely turned a few heads. Cast members like Karen Gillan have been teasing just how emotional the upcoming movie will be, with the script alone leaving them in tears. 

The stakes of Guardians 3 are also high because it seemingly marks James Gunn’s final project at Marvel… at least for the time being. He and Peter Safran were named co-CEOs of the DC Universe, and he’s currently hard at work crafting the next ten years of movies, TV, and video games. And as such, he’ll presumably be too busy to do any more Guardians projects. Although the credits-scene of the Holiday Special seemed to tease that another one is coming. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is expected to hit theaters on May 5th, 2023. But first up will be Ant-Man 3 on February 17th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.