During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mamma Mia star Amanda Seyfried has been talking about her decision to pass on the role of Gamora in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy, with the actress stating she feared the movie could “bomb” as she didn’t think anyone would want to see it.
“I didn’t want to be part of the first Marvel movie that bombed,” said Seyfried. “I said, ‘Who wants to see a movie about a talking tree and a racoon?’ Which is clearly – I was very wrong. The script was great, it was all based on not wanting to be ‘that guy’. Because if you’re the star of a giant movie like that, and it bombs, Hollywood does not forgive you. I’ve seen that happen to people and it was a giant, giant fear. I thought, is it worth it?”
Of course, the role of Gamora ultimately went to Zoe Saldana, while the movie about a talking tree and racoon proved to be a smash hit with audiences and critics alike, scoring $773 million worldwide. Saldana subsequently returned for the sequel, not to mention key roles in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and will be reuniting with director James Gunn next year to shoot Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
While Seyfried is presumably still kicking herself now over the missed Marvel opportunity, the actress is currently scoring career-best reviews and plenty of Oscar buzz for her role in David Fincher’s latest film Mank.