Amanda Seyfried Reveals She Was Offered the Role of Gamora in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’
After starring in three Guardians of the Galaxy films and two Avengers installments, Zoe Saldana has become synonymous with Gamora.
Since her debut in the first Guardians of the Galaxy, the actress has been lauded for her performance as the adopted daughter of Thanos. In particular, critics have praised her balance of grit, vulnerability, and humor.
Source: Marvel Studios
As it turns out, however, Saldana was not Marvel’s first choice to play Gamora.
Amanda Seyfried Turned Down the Role
During a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, actress Amanda Seyfried revealed that she was offered the role of Gamora in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film.
Photo: USA Today
While the deadly Gamora would have been an interesting role for Seyfriend, who is perhaps best known for her roles in Mean Girls and Mama Mia, the actress turned down the opportunity to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
“I was really scared of the idea of being stuck and painted a different color because of the amount of time [it takes],” Seyfried said.
Photo: Variety
“I definitely got the offer for it and I mulled over it for a couple days. I didn’t want to live in London for six months out of the year … Let’s also remember that being a part of the first Marvel movie that bombs ain’t good for your career. I thought that because this was about a talking tree and a talking raccoon that it would be Marvel’s first bomb and me and Chris Pratt would never work again. I was wrong! But I was just being smart. It’s not brave.”
Seyfried’s Fears Were Founded
While the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise eventually became a commercial and critical triumph for Marvel, many were skeptical when the first film was announced.
The Guardians of the Galaxy. Source: Marvel Studios
Nowadays, characters like Groot, Rocket, and Gamora are household names, but in 2014, they were relatively unknown.
Additionally, Saldana and her Guardians of the Galaxy co-star Dave Bautista have been open about how difficult the makeup process was.
Gamora. Image: Marvel
As hard as it is to imagine anyone but Saladana playing Gamora, the thought of Seyfried playing the character has now become an is an interesting Marvel “what if?”
