The end of Avengers: Endgame left many MCU characters unsure where they were going to go next, but few were left in a greater state of uncertainly than Nebula. Karen Gillan has been discussing what’s next for the character’s continued psychological development though and recently dropped some interesting hints.
By the climax of Endgame, Nebula had experienced the death of her sister Gamora, only for her to be sort of resurrected by her five-years-past self remaining in the present, while also having to contend with killing her own past self and deal with the deaths of two versions of her abusive father Thanos. It’s a lot for anyone to endure, and during a virtual panel for GalaxyCon Live, Gillan related what she imagines to be next for the wayward cyborg.
“I’m sort of thinking about future Nebula in the sense like, ‘What is she going to be like now that that person’s abuse has gone out of her life? How is she going to build herself back up again?’ Because it’s an odd feeling, I think, for someone who’s been abused by a parent, because they still love them and they’re sad that they’re gone, but also they hate them and they’re glad that they’re gone.”
Her thoughts highlight how the MCU is never content to let its characters stagnate, but ensures they’re always in a state of growth and change lest they quickly become boring and harder to relate to as a result of being seemingly unaffected by the momentous events around them.
Nebula may have loathed Thanos, but he’s also the only father she ever had and her entire life was defined by him, be it how he treated her or what use he made of her and her capabilities. That she’s now completely free to make her own choices is a huge change for her, but that freedom also comes with a sense of personal responsibility for her own life that she may not be ready to fully take on.
Nebula will next been seen in Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 3, where the titular wandering misfits will likely try to locate Gamora, who disappeared after the defeat of Thanos and his army. How Nebula interacts with the sister she simultaneously loves and resents will provide a strong indicator of where she is emotionally, and subsequently how far she still has to go.
