One Marvel Character Who Changed The Most But Gets The Least Recognition
A round of applause for peak character development!
It's not unheard of for a Marvel movie to have a nice redemption arc. Tony Stark managed to go from being an extremely selfish billionaire to a true superhero, Iron Man, while Rocket went through a similar transformation from a common thief to a member of the universe-patrolling team.
However, there is one character whose transformation has been completely overshadowed, but who deserves much more recognition.
Unlike many other characters in the MCU universe, Nebula doesn't have her own franchise or movie focused solely on her progress. But that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve one. Portrayed by Karen Gillan and now a full-fledged member of the Guardians of the Galaxy team, she has overcome more than many could ever imagine.
Introduced as a cold-blooded killer, no one could really imagine Nebula getting any better in the foreseeable future. No matter how extreme redemption arcs can be in comic book superhero settings, with such obvious villains, it was hard to expect any humanity from her.
However, after a slow progression from pure villain to anti-hero to actual hero in Avengers: Endgame, her heartfelt reaction to hearing Rocket's voice in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 puts to rest any questions about her means.
The great thing about Nebula is that she doesn't lose any of her strength and power by changing her attitude toward the other Guardians. If anything, she gains more of it, motivated by the idea of protecting them all and being the one who can stand up for them.
Rocket is the one she might shed a tear for at the moment, just because of how much more time they had to spend together, but in reality, it just goes to show how open and caring she is becoming throughout her journey with the group she truly loves.
If you want to relive Nebula's journey and see her character develop from the beginning, you can stream Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers movies on Disney Plus. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the latest film in the franchise, will be available for VOD on digital platforms on July 7.