One of the most loved trilogies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that of The Guardians of the Galaxy, one that Amanda Seyfried almost became a part of. The series was one that James Gunn brought to life in the most iconic manner possible. He took a bunch of nobodies and turned them into fan-favorite characters without a second thought. If there is a character that hasn’t been shed light on, Gunn can create a reputation for them loved by many.
Out of the various characters involved in the trilogy, there are some who shine like no other. Zoe Saldaña’s Gamora, a role that almost went to Seyfried, is one of them. Interestingly enough, Seyfried rejected the role for a reason similar to many’s doubts, what if the movie failed?
Amanda Seyfried Thought Guardians of the Galaxy Would Fail
Amanda Seyfried was the first one to be offered the role of Gamora before Zoe Saldaña. She had her own perspective regarding the matter. According to MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, the actress was drawn to the script but there were other factors that pushed her away.
“I didn’t want to be part of the first Marvel movie that bombed. I said, ‘Who wants to see a movie about a talking tree and a raccoon?'” She stated, “The script was great. It was all based in not wanting to be ‘that guy’ … Because if you are the star of a giant movie like that, and it bombs, Hollywood does not forgive you. I’ve seen that happen to people and it was a giant, giant fear and I thought, is it worth it?”
She believed that because of its interestingly different setting, the film was very likely to flop. She stated that because it was a film in the MCU, it would be of large scale and with great stakes. However, she also noted that because of the magnitude of the film, if it were to flop, it would break her own reputation greatly.
Zoe Saldaña Also Said No
According to MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, Amanda Seyfried was not alone in rejecting the role of Gamora. Zoe Saldaña too did not want to be part of The Guardians of the Galaxy. However, her reasons were much different from that of the Mamma Mia! star. Saldaña feared getting typecast if she were to take on the role. Having already worked on Avatar and Star Trek, becoming a science fiction icon was not something she wanted on her bio at first.
“You want me in every scene but I don’t speak to any of them. So I’m just going to go there for six months, go through five hours of makeup every day, six days a week, just to be like a fly on the wall with every scene.”
That wasn’t the only case however, she felt that Gamora was a character who was there purely for the sake of being there. It was then that James Gunn promised to change some things, willing to explore her character a lot more than initially intended.
