Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Half-Explains Endgame’s Biggest Plot Hole 4 Years Later

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Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3!How Gamora is alive in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is briefly explained as the movie addresses Avengers: Endgame's plot hole regarding her fate. Zoe Saldaña returns as the daughter of Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 to take part in the sendoff for the original iteration of the team. However, this once did not seem possible considering Thanos killed Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War. Her role in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was restored thanks to Avengers: Endgame's time travel plot, as a 2014 version of her traveled to the main MCU timeline. The problem was that this created plenty of other questions about her future.
The return of the MCU's 2014 variant Gamora comes after Iron Man's snap created a Thanos-sized plot hole in Avengers: Endgame. Tony Stark used the Infinity Stones to turn Thanos and his entire army to dust, eliminating any multiverse variants from the MCU's main timeline. However, deleted scenes confirmed that the Gamora variant was not among those who were snapped, and she left Earth and the Guardians of the Galaxy. There was hope that an official answer for how Gamora survived would come, but Guardians of the Galaxy 3 only provided a half-hearted explanation of the Avengers: Endgame plot hole.
GOTG 3 Suggests 2014 Gamora Wasn't Snapped By Iron Man Because Of Her Infinity Stone Death

The closest Guardians of the Galaxy 3 comes to explaining Avengers: Endgame's plot hole is a brief scene where Star-Lord recaps the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. This includes Peter Quill saying, "Everyone else who died in the past stayed dead, but not her. Why? Was it the magic cliff? I don't know. That's some freaking Infinity Stone science." Star-Lord's explanation is a bit scattered and leaves out important details, but it is the only time before Guardians of the Galaxy 3's post-credits finish that directly addresses the fact that Gamora somehow was not snapped by Iron Man despite being from another timeline and already being dead.
The way that Star-Lord seems to understand the circumstances of Gamora's return in Avengers: Endgame could help explain his confusion. He repeatedly talks about the variant Gamora as if she is the same girl who fell in love with him, but she just does not remember those events. It is possible that Star-Lord thinks that the 2014 Gamora is the MCU's main Gamora and that she was brought back to life by Hulk's snap only without her memories. This would mean that Peter does not understand that she is actually from the past, which is why he mentions her in the same breath as those who "died in the past."
Even if Star-Lord is confused about how Gamora is alive, the way that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 explains Avengers: Endgame's plot hole could still be somewhat accurate. Star-Lord mentioned that Vormir's magic cliff and the mysterious power of the Infinity Stones could be responsible for Gamora's fate. While he might wrongfully think this is how Gamora returned from the dead with the other snap victims, there is still some potential truth that Gamora's connection to Vormir and the Infinity Stones might have helped spare her from Iron Man's snap despite being affiliated with the 2014 Thanos and his timeline.
Does Gamora Surviving Fit With Marvel's Infinity Stone Rules & Powers?

The 2014 Gamora surviving Iron Man's snap in Avengers: Endgame could fit within Marvel's Infinity Stones rules and powers in a few different ways. It is important to remember that the Infinity Stones themselves are the most powerful artifacts in the universe and are tied to the keys of the universe. This means it is plausible that the Infinity Stones stepped in to spare the 2014 Gamora. The stones could realize that she is not part of Thanos' army (if Tony Stark had not come to that realization himself) and made it so she would not need to be erased from existence.
The Infinity Stones sparing the Gamora variant after the MCU killed the main version in Avengers: Infinity War would provide a loophole to the Soul Stone's rules. Red Skull makes it very clear that the "soul for a soul" exchange on Vormir is permanent and irreversible. That is why Hulk is unable to bring Black Widow back with his snap, which he admits he tried to do. Since Gamora also died on Vormir so Thanos could obtain the Soul Stone, her death would be irreversible through the use of the stones. Her link to the Soul World could be used to help explain how 2014 Gamora survived the snap.
Another potential explanation for Gamora's return that could fit within the MCU's Infinity Stone powers and rules. The exact rules of the "soul for a soul" exchange are unknown, but perhaps the full restrictions on resurrections change if the Soul Stone is destroyed. Thanos reduced all six Infinity Stones to their atomic bases in the beginning of Avengers: Endgame, and that could mean the permanence of Gamora's death is lessened. The presence of her variant being used to course-correct the universe after Thanos used the Infinity Stones for evil and selfish desires might have helped make Gamora safe from Iron Man's snap.
Why Endgame Didn't Explain How 2014 Gamora Survived (& Created A Plot Hole)

The MCU's lack of an official explanation for how 2014 Gamora survived Avengers: Endgame goes back to the Phase 3 movie's oversights. Gamora's return was one of many story developments that unfolded in the finale, but there was only so much time directors Anthony and Joe Russo had to work with. Wrapping up Iron Man and Captain America's stories took precedence over explaining exactly what happened to Gamora. With Marvel Studios already developing Guardians of the Galaxy 3 at this point, James Gunn was left to determine if Gamora would be one of the characters who die in Guardians of the Galaxy 3.
The Russo brothers have spoken about the decision to not address Gamora's fate in Avengers: Endgame in the past. They confirmed in a 2019 interview with Business Insider that they were not sure if Gamora had survived Iron Man's snap or was turned to dust. Joe said, "I'm sure future films will answer that question," while Anthony said, "Exactly, we've done our job" after the interviewer said the question was now James Gunn's problem. After working to tie up several loose ends from the Infinity Saga and bring satisfying conclusions to major characters, the Russo brothers clearly chose to not worry about the implications of Gamora's Avengers: Endgame plot hole.
Why GOTG 3 Didn't Restore Gamora's Memories Or Have Her Rejoin The Team

Gamora's status in the MCU and with the Guardians surprisingly does not do two of the more theorized suggestions. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 ends without Gamora somehow gaining access to the main MCU Gamora's memories or see her officially rejoin the Guardians team. Marvel Studios certainly could have found a way to make either of these decision possible within the confines of the MCU if it would have helped James Gunn's story. However, restoring Gamora's memories and having her return to the team as they kill High Evolutionary would have been a cheap development that undermines the character's actual journey.
Guardains of the Galaxy 3 not restoring Gamora's memories or having her rejoin the team means that the weight of Gamora's death remain for the MCU. It was devastating for audiences and the Guardians of the Galaxy team members to have Gamora die in Avengers: Infinity War. Marvel Studios made the correct call to not completely undo the meaning and long-term impact that the decision had on the franchise. It also allows the 2014 Gamora variant to continue charting her own course in the MCU going forward, even if Zoe Saldaña no longer plays her and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 never fully explains the Avengers: Endgame plot hole.
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