Guardians of the Galaxy: Amanda Seyfried on why she turned down Gamora role

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Once The Avengers had been unleashed, it was clear that the Marvel Cinematic Universe was here to say, but the studio wouldn't fully tap into their catalogue of lesser-known characters until Guardians of the Galaxy. With a team that included a trash-talking racoon and a monosyllabic tree, it was clear that Guardians of the Galaxy would be something of a risk for Marvel. If it worked, it would open up a brave new world of unique characters and bigger risks, but if it didn't…well, the MCU might have become a very different beast.

Thankfully, Guardians of the Galaxy did indeed work, but those doubts persisted throughout the development of the project. One person was so afraid that the movie would become a major bomb, that she actually turned down a leading role despite loving the script. Back in 2013, Amanda Seyfried (Mank) had been offered the role of Gamora, but while speaking on THR's Awards Chatter podcast, Seyfried revealed, "I didn't want to be part of the first Marvel movie that bombed. I said, 'Who wants to see a movie about a talking tree and a raccoon?' Which is clearly – I was very wrong." Amanda Seyfried added, "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. Ive seen that happen to people and it was a giant, giant tear. I thought, 'is it worth it?" Zoe Saldana (Avatar 2) wound up taking on the role, and while I'm sure Amanda Seyfried would have done just fine given the opportunity, it's hard to imagine anyone else other than Saldana as Gamora.

Although Amanda Seyfried may have missed out on playing Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, the MCU has shown no signs of slowing down, so there's definitely still a chance that she could play a different role down the road. Seyfried can currently be seen starring alongside Gary Oldman in David Fincher's Mank, which is now streaming on Netflix. You can check out a review of the film from our own Chris Bumbray right here.