Back in 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy seemed like a shot in the dark for Marvel Studios. Until that point, they had stuck with their more well-known heroes at the time that had garnered much box office success, such as continuing the ongoing trilogies of Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. To be fair, hardly anyone even knew who the Guardians were from a comic-book standpoint, so a big part of ensuring the movie's success was rallying up the perfect cast. Luckily, that's what we got.
As we all know, actress Zoe Saldana took the helm of Gamora, the galaxy's deadliest woman. Saldana portrayed Gamora all the way until her seemingly untimely end in Avengers: Infinity War, only to come back as a past version of herself in Avengers: Endgame. Now, it's been confirmed that Saldana will continue the role in the inevitable Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3. At this point in the MCU game, it's hard to imagine anyone else as the green-skinned Guardian, but a recent interview has revealed that another famous actress had been considered for the role...
REPORT
Comicbook.com recently held an interview with actress Amanda Seyfried for her latest movie You Should Have Left. During the interview she opened up about how Marvel Studios had once pursued her for the role of Gamora — only to turn it down because of the extensive makeup work that went with it:
"I think about it often. I'm not really a Marvel movie watcher, which is, I think, why I was just like, 'Ah, I don't wanna be green. It's just so much work.' I remember Jennifer Lawrence talking about once, how long it took her to get blue. And I was like, 'That seems like hell on earth,' because then you get to set and you're only there for a couple hours, and then you have to take everything off. And that was literally the reason."
WHAT THIS MEANS
Given the monumental success that the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise has amassed since Vol. 1's release in 2014, it's hard to imagine anyone else in these now distinct roles. Seyfried was and is qualified in her own right, having starred in successes such as Momma Mia, Les Miserables, and Mean Girls. However, it's safe to say that Saldana has left a mark on the character that no other actress could quite imitate.
This also isn't the first time Marvel Studios has had to switch around it's preferred actors and actresses. Emily Blunt was the front-runner to portray Natasha Romanoff in 2008's Iron Man 2, but the role went to Scarlet Johannsson instead, as Blunt couldn't work the film into her schedule. And who could forget how Tom Hiddleston originally auditioned for the role of Thor only to be cast as his morally-skewed brother Loki, who is now, undeniably, a fan favorite? With an entire Infinity Saga under Marvel Studios belt, these roles have been solidified in fans and non-fans minds alike.
Still, as the MCU repertoire continues to endlessly grow, there's no saying if Seyfried may or may not make an appearance in a future project. If Marvel Studios considered her once, it's safe to say that she's probably still hot on their radar. And at this point in the industry, anyone would be dying to get their hands on an MCU role as its reputation has left nothing behind nothing but legacies.
