In the run for superhero movies, it has become a lifetime wishlist for actors to be cast in the esteemed MCU or DCEU universes. Naturally, the competition is stiff. With much at stake, some actors don’t get a final place in the movie despite initial screenings. Distinguished actress Zoe Saldaña once suffered the same fate while shooting the $668 million DC film Man of Steel.
Well, it had to be someone as prominent as Saldaña. Hence, a $60 million actress made the final cast as Lois Lane. However, in a parallel universe, Saldaña would have been the first POC Lois Lane in the DCEU. Alongside the Avatar star, other big names couldn’t be cast for the role either, like Kristen Stewart and Rachel McAdams.
Zoe Saldaña could have been Lois Lane
The 45-year-old actress made it pretty deep into the movie screening, and it was almost certain that DC fans would witness her smash playing the award-winning Metropolis journalist and Superman’s lover. However, Enchanted star, Amy Adams got the final part. As per ScreenRant, director Zack Snyder almost cast Saldaña but chose Adams instead. He told ComicBook Debate,
“At a time, it was between [Amy Adams] and Zoe Saldana. They’re totally different, but their presence is super strong.”
Adams reprised her character two more times in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League but has no plans of returning, much like leading actor Henry Cavill, per CBR. Moreover, not only Zoe Saldaña but notable stars like Jessica Biel, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Kirsten Stewart were also rejected from the final casting of Lois Lane. Regardless of her not landing the iconic DCEU role, life played out pretty well for Saldaña.
Zoe Saldaña’s success in the superhero world
As the saying goes, all happens for a reason. If cast as Lois, Saldaña would have most likely not landed the role of Gamora in James Gunn’s billion-dollar franchise Guardians of the Galaxy, as it was released only a year later. More so, her superhero character has fixed her place in the MCU. Besides being part of the GOTG family, the American actress even reprised her role in Avengers: Endgame.
Apart from the superhero verse, the 5’7 star’s central role as Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise is irreplaceable. Hence, the actress certainly has the sequels to look forward to, with Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 already scrammed into her list of blockbusters.
On the other hand, Adams beat a lot many stars for Lois Lane, yet, her future in the DCEU is uncertain. She will most likely not be cast as some other character in the DCEU, however, a Loise Lane reprise might be expected. Although, it is worth noting that Adams rightly fit the character, what if Saldaña was cast as Lois Lane instead?
