It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Zoe Saldaña playing Gamora in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy. But before Saldaña stepped into the role, Marvel originally approached Amanda Seyfried to play the character, and she ended up turning it down.
Now, years later, Seyfried is opening up about that decision, and explained that it all came down to a mix of practical concerns and a serious underestimation of just how big the movie would become.
Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Seyfried reflected on mulling over the offer and why she ultimately walked away from it.
“I was really scared of the idea of being stuck and painted a different color because of the amount of time [it takes]. It was a giant opportunity. I had just met James [Gunn] in person. He is wonderful.
“Apparently, someone said he didn’t remember, but it’s definitely true. 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.
“There was another movie I really wanted to do with Seth MacFarlane called A Million Ways to Die in the West. It felt like a good opportunity.”
While A Million Ways to Die in the West didn’t exactly set the box office on fire, Seyfried stands by the decision she made. Beyond the makeup process, she simply didn’t want to lock herself into a long-term commitment if she wasn’t 100% into it.
“I was at a precarious moment in my career, and I didn’t want to suffer for the work. Sitting there for four-and-a-half hours every morning seemed like it wasn’t going to be fun.
“I had done some green screen stuff, and it wasn’t my best or my cup of tea then. I don’t regret anything. I made that decision for myself. It was good for me then, and it was good for me now.”
But the biggest reason she passed… she just didn’t think Guardians of the Galaxy would work. At the time, Marvel was on a winning streak, but this was a deep cut movie about a talking raccoon and a sentient tree. Seyfried wasn’t convinced.
“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.”
Of course, Guardians of the Galaxy went on to be a massive hit, turning Chris Pratt into a bonafide movie star and locking Gunn down as one of Marvel’s most beloved directors.
As for Seyfried, she’s yet to take on a comic book role, but who knows? Maybe there’s still a place for her in the MCU or DCU at some point, if she’s interested.
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