From the beginning, one of the hallmarks of the MCU has been its sharp, playful sense of humor. Even with all its costumed heroes and universe-ending stakes, Marvel has often managed to infuse just enough levity to keep the adventure fun for fans without upending the story at hand. This challenge was perhaps never greater than in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, which saw most of the established heroes from the MCU’s first decade of storytelling scramble to mount a last-minute defense against Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his invading army. With half of all life on the line, the film’s story doesn’t exactly seem like the best time to crack a joke.
Yet, by allowing the characters to play off of each other’s differences, Avengers: Infinity War features some of the most memorable comedic beats in the MCU. Whether it’s seeing Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) square off or Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) introducing himself to Groot, the movie squeezes every last bit of comedic potential (well, almost) out of what is widely considered the darkest chapter of the MCU so far. In fact, one particular fan-favorite joke stands out, and it very well might have been inspired by a controversy stemming from the release of the original Guardians of the Galaxy.
Ahead of the 2014 release of James Gunn’s first Marvel movie, no one thought Guardians of the Galaxy would work. Although the MCU had been on a consistent string of hits, the offbeat story of a quintet of criminals and outcasts — including a raccoon and a tree — who ultimately win the day with the power of friendship had to be the breaking point, right? Instead, Guardians of the Galaxy became a sensation and turned a relatively obscure comics title into a marquee MCU franchise. However, for some fans, the rollout of merchandise supporting the film was missing something — or, rather, someone.
According to the book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards, Zoe Saldaña’s Gamora was absent from nearly all of the toys, shirts, and assorted products tied to Guardians of the Galaxy. Despite being essentially the second lead of the film, Gamora was the only female and also the only one of the five main heroes left out. This ultimately led to a viral campaign among fans calling for the character to be better represented among the Guardians of the Galaxy merchandise. The hashtag supporting it? #wheresgamora
Now, given Gamora’s relationship to Thanos, it was likely inevitable that she would wind up at the center of Avengers: Infinity War. As fans well know, Thanos kidnaps her to identify the location of the Soul Stone, thereby triggering Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) to launch a rescue mission to Thanos’ home planet of Titan. While there, the remaining Guardians come face to face with a few of the Avengers, prompting one of the most unforgettable exchanges in the film. But for anyone familiar with the earlier fan campaign calling for more Gamora merchandise, it should feel vaguely familiar.
Here’s the scene for your viewing pleasure:
While Bautista’s punchline at the end of the scene was reportedly improvised, the setup is clearly scripted and has a direct function in the movie’s plotline. Looking back now, it’s hard to be certain whether the “Where’s Gamora?” line was a direct reference to the viral campaign about her absence from the Guardians of the Galaxy merch. But given Marvel’s attention to detail and penchant for Easter eggs, it’s impossible to rule out. If nothing else, it gives fans one more little detail to appreciate about Avengers: Infinity War and its unique place within the MCU. Unfortunately, the #wheresgamora trend wasn’t the last time Marvel faced such a controversy. The very next year, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow was conspicuously missing from Avengers: Age of Ultron merch. Interestingly, both characters suffered all too similar fates.
Do you think Marvel intentionally referenced the #wheresgamora controversy? Let us know in the comments below!
