Guardians 3 Theory: Gamora Is Searching For Thanos' Son
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is expected to partially be about finding Gamora (Zoe Saldana), but could her departure from the Guardians be tied to finding another one of Thanos' children? After starring in the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, it appeared that Gamora's time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe came to a close in Phase 3. Thanos (Josh Brolin) tossed her over the cliff on Vormir to acquire the Soul Stone in Avengers: Infinity War, an act that meant the end of the Gamora that fans came to know in recent years.
Although Gamora's death is permanent and irreversible, she is still around in the MCU now thanks to Avengers: Endgame. The time travel nature of the film's plot allowed a 2014 version of her from another timeline to be brought to the main timeline. She turned on Thanos yet again to help the MCU's main Nebula, and even after helping fight Thanos' massive army at the end and learning about what happened to her life in the current timeline, Gamora didn't stick around. Her fate was left up in the air when Avengers: Endgame ended, but a deleted scene confirmed that she wasn't dusted by Iron Man. Instead, the film ended with Peter Quill aboard the Benatar running a search for her across the galaxy.
The results of Star-Lord's search weren't revealed by the end of Avengers: Endgame though. This appears to be a major plot point that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will touch on instead. The search for Gamora could be resolved at any point in the sequel, but her disappearance raised two major questions that need to be answered: Where did Gamora go after Avengers: Endgame and why? Fans have debated what this 2014 Gamora could be interested in accomplishing in this new timeline, but one area that might specifically be of interest to her is the current state of Thanos' conquest. This would allow Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to unearth more about Gamora's past with Thanos and could be tied to her journey in the sequel: finding Thanos' son and her "brother" Thane.
Thanos' MCU story is done as far as we know, but Thane could be revealed to be the latest of his children. Prior to Avengers: Infinity War, the only children of Thanos that the MCU featured were Gamora and Nebula. Their rivalry in the first two Guardians movies showed how the Mad Titan would pit his children against each other to make them better, one way or another. Avengers: Infinity War provided additional insight into how they became Thanos' children, as he isn't their biological father. Instead, Thanos kept children who showed potential from the various planes he conquered. Infinity War is also where the MCU introduced four more children of Thanos: Ebony Maw, Cull Obsidian, Corvus Glaive, and Proxima Midnight.
Following the events of the last two Avengers movies, Gamora and Nebula are the only known children of Thanos still alive. Their upbringing was far from ideal, but it is proven that Thanos' children knew more about his plans and empire than anyone else. Nebula was the one to know where Titan 2.0 was located and that it would be the place Thanos went after his "victory" of eliminating half of all life across the universe. But Gamora was even more tuned in to Thanos' plans, as she was his favorite and the one chosen to find the location of the Soul Stone. With the widespread reach of Thanos, his only collecting six kids seems low, especially since Thanos has hundreds of children in the comics. If more do exist, then it would only make sense that Gamora knows about them, which could bring Thane into Guardians of the Galaxy 3's picture.
Thane is a rather recent creation from Marvel comics, as he first appeared in the pages of New Avengers #10 in 2013. His introduction came as part of a tie-in to Jonathan Hickman's Infinity event, which was one of Marvel's inspirations for the last two Avengers films. Unlike the MCU's take on Thanos adopting children, Thane was revealed to be the biological and secret son of Thanos in the comics. Thanos impregnated an Inhuman woman long ago which led to the birth of Thane. When Thanos learned of this, he began traveling across the galaxy from planet to planet demanding every boy within Thane's age range be killed in an effort to appease his jealous lover, Death. Thanos eventually determined that Thane was on Earth as a member of a secret Inhumans tribe.
Once Thane went through Terrigenesis and received his Inhuman powers, he became one of Marvel's most powerful characters. His left hand had the power to wipe out anyone in close proximity, while his right hand can trap anyone close enough to him in an amber construct that leaves them in a state of "living death." Thane was not able to control his powers at all at first, which led Ebony Maw to give him a containment suit that helped. His power was so great that he defeated Thanos and saw loyal followers of the Mad Titan like Ebony Maw begin to follow him, instead. Since that introduction, Thane went on to become an even more powerful force in the cosmos and even became the host of the Phoenix Force.
The idea of Gamora searching for Thane could be tied to how her story in Avengers: Endgame evolves. It is important to remember that the 2014 version of her was very close to turning on Thanos once she got the Power Stone, so her intention was to foil his plans. But, she was also just a few hours removed from helping the Mad Titan conquer a new planet. The destruction that she helped cause was fresh in her mind and she's now been transported to a world without Thanos. Gamora knows that he and the Black Order are no longer around, but, being close to Thanos, she could also have known if there were a way for him to potentially return.
Although Thanos seemed to use the entirety of his forces to gather the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War, it was proven in the sequel that Thanos's Endgame army was much bigger. Instead of just using himself, his children, and the Outriders, the 2014 version of Thanos also deployed the Chitauri and Sakaaran armies in Endgame. The main MCU timeline's Thanos had several other years to expand his forces, though, and Thane could have been part of that effort. Just like how Nebula knew that Thanos planned to retire on Titan 2.0 after achieving his goal, Gamora could know of a contingency plan that would pass Thanos' power to a chosen heir. While she might have been the first option potentially, Thane could've been Thanos' second choice, with the Mad Titan even grooming him to take this spot.
It's even possible Thanos had quietly been searching for Thane in the MCU just as he did in the comics but never found him. Since Gamora was already secretly holding the location of the Soul Stone, it would be too much of a retread for her to also secretly know where Thane is. However, the search for the Soul Stone could point to Gamora having some skills as an investigator with extra knowledge of Thanos' plans. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 could then see Gamora follow any leads Thanos might have had before on Thane's whereabouts.
The introduction of Thane in Guardians 3 could also nicely fit with the franchise's ongoing familial themes. The Guardians of the Galaxy movies have always been about family, whether that means highlighting how the Guardians formed a new family or how many of them have tragic family histories. Gamora and Nebula's sister relationship has been thoroughly explored at this point, so Thane could add a new wrinkle to this mix.
Depending on how Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 potentially utilizes Thane, the benefits of including could be even greater. If Thane is already a pawn of Thanos, then it could be up to Gamora to determine what to do with him. The movie could put her in a position to choose whether it's better and safer for the galaxy if he dies or if his life can be spared. But, even if Thane were never found by Thanos, Gamora could be put in a similar position. Thane's immense power could make him a danger to the galaxy and Gamora could be left to decide if Thane will avoid being another Thanos, whether he'll be another enemy or a potential ally. The decision wouldn't be easy, but Gamora's inevitable reunion with the Guardians could help her make the right call - whatever it might be.