Amanda Seyfried is once again generating big buzz. Her hit mystery-thriller-drama The Housemaid is following its theatrical success by dominating streaming; meanwhile, the actress’s Emmy-and-Golden Globe-winning role as Elizabeth Holmes is propelling her into the middle of Nathan Fielder’s highly anticipated new documentary (about the actual Elizabeth Holmes), You Can See Everything.
There’s no doubt that Amanda Seyfried has found success and acclaim in her career, but what if she were a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? It was a possibility once upon a time, as Seyfried infamously turned down the role of Gamora in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Now, over a decade later, Seyfried is speaking on where her mind was when she passed on Guardians, and whether she has any regrets about it now, seeing what the franchise has become.
Marvel studios
To make a long story short: Amanda Seyfried looked at what Guardians of the Galaxywas, on paper, and didn’t see the modern Star Wars vision that James Gunn clearly did: “I think turning down Guardians of the Galaxy was just so obvious to me at the time,” Seyfried explained onstage during a Q&A event for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. “I’m like, ‘This is not going to be a hit. The tree and the raccoon are talking to each other. And also they’re all in space.’ And I was just like, ‘This will ruin my career if this is bad. And there’s a high chance that this could be bad.’”
In Seyfried’s defense: when Marvel Studios was developing the Guardians of the Galaxymovie in the early 2010s, the characters and team were about as obscure as any Marvel franchise could be. As someone who reported on the rollout of Guardians, I can tell you firsthand: fans were not hyped for it, nor were many people in the industry, outside of the actors who had read Gunn’s script, and recognized the found-family dramedy at its core. That group mostly consisted of actors with comedic backgrounds looking for a big franchise role (like Chris Pratt), but other actors who leaned more towards drama (like Zoe Saldaña) were not quick to jump in; several only committed to the first film. Of course, when Guardians of the Galaxybecame one of the biggest hits the MCU had released, that skepticism quickly evaporated, and longer contracts were signed.
Does Amanda Seyfried regret passing on Guardians of the Galaxy?
Marvel Studios – Lionsgate
12 years later, Seyfried can’t help but to acknowledge that the Guardians of the Galaxyfranchise is far from being the disaster she worried it could be. “I mean, obviously I was wrong,” she admitted, but still stood firm on her choice, insisting she is not the type of actor who is built for the Marvel movie machine, then or now. “I still don’t take back that decision. I made it for myself. I made it for my family that I knew I wanted to have. And I just don’t want to spend all the time in the makeup trailer. I just can’t sit still anyway. I really don’t like stunts, and I don’t like heights, and I don’t like pretending the entire world. I need something to hold on to.”
It’s ultimately ironic that Seyfriend passed on GotGbecause it seemed too risky: Zoe Saldaña initially hesitated because she had already taken a risk on a blue-skinned alien role in James Cameron’s Avatar, and felt like Gamora was almost too safeas a copycat role. However, Saldaña had enough fandom experience to do a deep dive on Gamora and realized the value of her tragic Shakespearean family drama with Thanos and Nebula.
After committing to just Guardians, Saldaña saw Gamora’s story was worth not just a single film role, but an entire Marvel Cinematic Universe arc. And how right she was: Gamora has become one of biggest heroine icons of the MCU, and Saldaña’s version has completely overshadowed her comic book counterpart. However, the journey has seemingly come to an end: Zoe Saldaña has made it clear that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be her last time playing Gamora. However, she also wants another actress to take over the character and keep her alive onscreen – so maybe Seyfried still has a chance?
“The one thing I would not want is for Gamora to go away. She’s been such an impactful character for fans, and especially female fans, and young female fans, Saldaña told Total Film magazine in 2023. “I would love for Marvel to figure out a way to find that next generation of actors that can incarnate these characters, and give them this immortality that fans generationally keep coming back to.”
You can stream the Guardians of the Galaxytrilogy and Christmas Special on Disney+. Amanda Seyfried’s hit film The Housemaidis streaming on HBO Max. Could you see Amanda Seyfried in the role of Gamora? Let us know in the comments!
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