‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Creative Team Reveal Why Gamora Left With Thanos

Avengers: Infinity War director Joe Russo and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have explained in-depth the reasoning behind young Gamora leaving her home planet with warlord Thanos (Josh Brolin), who “adopted” the young Zehoberei girl after massacring half of her species.

“How does a man like Thanos go about adopting anyone? Does he go to an agency? Does he have to fill out a form? No, he kills half of everybody else on the planet and then you’re his,” Markus says on the Infinity War commentary.

“We’ve always had this scene from the very first draft. It changed slightly, but it was always, ‘He destroys her world, and he takes her as an orphan,’” added McFeely.

The Mad Titan then raised Gamora (Zoe Saldana) as his own, sculpting her into the “deadliest woman in the galaxy.” The flashback was necessary to cement the father-daughter relationship ahead of Thanos sacrificing Gamora on Vormir to claim the Soul Stone.

“It was also very important not for him to just grab her, stick her under his arm, and drag her off,” Markus noted. Instead, according to Russo, it was “something he sees in her.”

“There’s something he sees in her and there is something she sees in him,” Markus said. “He is a protector. Even if he created the danger, he is providing a way forward for her that does speak to her inherent nature.” Added McFeely, “It’s an abusive relationship in that way.”

Visually, “it implies what is about to happen to her,” Russo said. “He steps her outside of his rule of law, which is one side randomly survives and the other side randomly gets killed. She’s in between the two. It’s unfortunately a trajectory she can’t escape, because it does ultimately end up in her demise.”

Russo also confirmed on the commentary Drax (Dave Bautista) and his family suffered the same fate: his wife and daughter were placed on one side and Drax on the other.

Russo and directing partner and brother Anthony also used the platform to defend Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), who lashed out after learning of Gamora’s death. The Guardians of the Galaxy leader has since been blamed for his actions resulting in Thanos’ snap that devastated half of all life in the universe.

Avengers: Infinity War is now available to own on Digital HD ahead of its August 14 disc release.