GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: Amanda Seyfried Reflects On Passing On Playing Gamora In The MCU

Amanda Seyfried was once one of Marvel Studios' top choices to play Gamora in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy, and the actress has now explained why she decided to pass on playing the character...

By JoshWilding - Jun 18, 2020 03:06 AM EST

Filed Under: Guardians of the Galaxy

These days, it's hard to imagine anyone other than Zoe Saldana playing Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Les Miserables star Amanda Seyfried was once reportedly at the top of Marvel Studios' wish list.

Ultimately, the actress decided to pass on the opportunity to star in Guardians of the Galaxy, but we've never learned what went wrong.

While she's certainly had a successful career, it's hard to imagine Seyfried not regretting her decision, but when ComicBook.com pushed her for details, she didn't sound too torn up.

"I think about it often," she replied with a laugh. "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."

X-Men star Jennifer Lawrence has never shied away from how hellish it was being transformed into Mystique, so it's not difficult to see why Seyfried was reluctant to head down a similar route. However, Saldana has never really had anything bad to say about her experiences with Marvel Studios, and is seemingly going to remain a big part of the MCU moving forward.

Do you guys think Seyfried would have made a good Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy?

Click on the "Next" button below to take a look at five superhero
movie and TV actors who were fired...and five who quit!

10. Ed Norton (The Hulk) = Walked Away

The original plan was for Ed Norton was originally supposed to return as Bruce Banner/The Hulk in The Avengers but plans changed when he butted heads with Marvel Studios during The Incredible Hulk's production. After insisting that he rewrite parts of the script, Norton refused to promote the movie due to his unhappiness with how it ultimately came together.

His desire for creative control was a problem for Marvel even in their earliest days, and while we've never been entirely sure whether he walked away from the MCU or was fired, comments from the actor have indicated that he probably decided not to reprise the role down the line.

After his experience working on The Incredible Hulk, Norton is unlikely to ever return to the genre!

9. Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man) = Fired

Andrew Garfield had a good thing going with The Amazing Spider-Man franchise. Sure, the first two instalments weren't particularly well-received by a lot of fans, but they were financially successful, and he had Sinister Six and at least two more solo outings to look forward.

However, he ended up being fired by Sony and that apparently came after he failed to attend an event with Sony bigwigs for what he claimed was sickness caused by jet lag. It did not go down well.

The plan had been to announce The Amazing Spider-Man 3 at that event and with Marvel pushing for the opportunity to reboot the franchise, Sony finally pulled the trigger on an overdue MCU team-up.

8. Shailene Woodley (Mary Jane Watson) = Fired

Talking of The Amazing Spider-Man movies, Shailene Woodley was cast as Mary Jane Watson in the 2014 sequel, but the apparent negative reaction from fans to her being chosen to play the character resulted in Sony completely cutting the actress from the movie.

She had shot a number of scenes (MJ would have been Peter's new neighbour and possible love interest) but they all ended up on the cutting room floor, and she was nowhere to be seen.

It was later claimed that Marc Webb scrapped her role in order to streamline the sequel and focus on Peter and Gwen Stacy, and while there was talk of Woodley returning for the third instalment, it didn't sound like she was particularly happy with the way she was treated.

7. Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) = Walked Away

Hugh Jackman was first cast as Wolverine in the late 90s and the fact he was still playing the character two decades later is nothing short of remarkable. However, realising that he wanted to embark on other projects and feeling that he was too old to continue playing a superhero, the Australian actor decided to hang his claws up with 2017's Logan.

That brought the character's story arc to a close in an emotional and memorable finale.

As of right now, Wolverine is very much dead and that's something Jackman seems content with. Ryan Reynolds hasn't had much luck convincing him to reprise the role, and with the Disney/Fox merger meaning the hero is returning to the MCU, it seems likely Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige will find a new actor to play the popular X-Man.

6. Ben Affleck (Batman) = Walked Away

If Ben Affleck had ended up playing the Caped Crusader in The Batman, it would have been nothing short of a miracle. The actor clearly didn't want to continue playing the character, and after the negative critical response to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, it's easy to see why that is. As a result, he gave up both the role and director's chair.

He also had his fair share of personal issues while making the movies, but did indicate that he enjoyed working with Zack Snyder in recent interviews (but not Joss Whedon, we're assuming).

Matt Reeves has since chosen Robert Pattinson to play the new Batman, and there's now no chance of Affleck ever reprising the role. On the plus side, he now seems to be considerably happier.

5. Ruby Rose (Batwoman) = Walked Away

Batwoman just wrapped up its first season, but Ruby Rose has announced that she's decided to walk away from the role. A specific reason wasn't given, but there has to be a reason.

It could be because she injured her back on set or the negativity the actress has had from fans, but we're bound to find out what happened sooner rather than later. For now, though, The CW now needs to find a new actress to replace Rose in season two, and they're looking for an LGBTQ actress.

This is undoubtedly one of the most surprising departures on this list, and a game-changer for the series.

4. James Purefoy (V) = Fired

V for Vendetta is one of those great comic book movies which seems to have been mostly forgotten in recent years, but what you may not realise is that before Hugo Weaving ended up landing the lead role, James Purefoy had been cast as the iconic character.

He had even shot scenes as V, but when the movie's director and producers realised he didn't have the charisma needed for the role, he was unceremoniously fired by the studio.

Weaving was asked to take over and it's thought that there are even scenes in the finished movie where it's Purefoy beneath the mask (clearly not all his scenes were terrible). It's now hard to imagine anyone other than Weaving playing V, but one has to wonder about what might have been.

3. Dougray Scott (Wolverine) = Walked Away

Before Hugh Jackman was cast as Wolverine, Batwoman star Dougray Scott had been chosen to take on the role of the iconic Marvel Comics mutant by director Bryan Singer.

His casting had been made official, and he was getting ready to start shooting before some unexpected scheduling conflicts resulted in him being forced to choose between starring in X-Men or answering the call from Tom Cruise to play the lead villain in Mission: Impossible II.

Scott didn't believe that superhero movies were popular enough to have a positive impact on his career, so he went with the spy franchise and ended up starring in arguably the worst chapter in that series. As a result, the actor likely missed out on becoming a household name.

2. Terrence Howard (Rhodey) = Fired

Believe it or not, because he was a more bankable star at the time, Terrence Howard scored a larger sum for Iron Man than Robert Downey Jr. Unfortunately, he took a little too much credit for the first movie's success and demanded a massive pay rise for the sequel which frugal Marvel boss Isaac Perlmutter simply refused to pay.

As a result, he was fired from the role for controversial reasons. Brace yourselves for this one.

You see, it's been said that Perlmutter was confident that no one would notice Howard being replaced...because all black people look the same. Crazy, right? Don Cheadle ended up as War Machine in Iron Man 2, and he's done a great job, with Howard starring in critically acclaimed Fox drama Empire.

1. Michelle Pfeiffer (Catwoman) = Fired

Michelle Pfeiffer did an incredible job as Catwoman in Batman Returns and delivered the most iconic take on the character to date (even all these years later). At the time, Warner Bros. wanted her to star in a solo outing but the plug was quickly pulled on the project, and she was unceremoniously fired.

The true story behind these events have never been revealed, but it's been widely reported that it boiled down to Warner Bros. and Joel Schumacher wanting to head in a more kid-friendly direction moving forward. That obviously didn't work out well for the Batman franchise as what came next sucked.

On the plus side, Pfeiffer got another shot at a superhero role in Ant-Man and The Wasp.

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38 Comments

dracula - 6/18/2020, 3:47 AM

Could see her as Lois Lane or Poison Ivy

MyCoolYoung - 6/18/2020, 7:57 AM

@dracula - she don’t wanna be green lol

MosquitoFarmer - 6/18/2020, 3:47 AM

And then you get your Bradley Cooper's who get to show up and do some voice recording for a week or two and get all the fame and a nice paycheck... Bastard.

KWilly - 6/18/2020, 4:00 AM

@MosquitoFarmer - Can't be any easier than Vin Diesel's job.

RolandD - 6/18/2020, 11:46 AM

@KWilly - Diesel has a lot of lines to memorize.

MosquitoFarmer - 6/18/2020, 1:24 PM

@RolandD - And yet he still comes off wooden.

RolandD - 6/18/2020, 2:40 PM

@MosquitoFarmer - LOLOLOL

Tasmaniac - 6/19/2020, 6:10 AM

@MosquitoFarmer - Oh, well played sir 👏🏻

WakandanQueen - 6/18/2020, 3:52 AM

Saldana's performance in Infinity War tho

OmegaDaGrodd - 6/18/2020, 4:00 AM

@WakandanQueen -

Elite

Chewtoy - 6/18/2020, 5:06 AM

Likely for the best.

...well, not for her, but still.

marvel72 - 6/18/2020, 5:48 AM

I could see her as Gamora,don't really rate Zoe in the role.

hazapez - 6/18/2020, 6:17 AM

imagine getting paid millions to pretend and body art is where you draw the line 🤦

99OPTIMISTPRIME - 6/18/2020, 8:48 AM

@hazapez - She drew the line at not giving a sh!t about the material.😂 Money & raising your profile aside, she didn't wanna commit to that specific character.

CasualAF - 6/18/2020, 8:52 AM

@WAKANDABATMANFOREVER - If gamora required ZERO paint...she would have said yes. So its not about material...its paint/time in chair.

AntMeetBoot - 6/18/2020, 10:43 AM

@hazapez - ... okay, but imagine being where Amanda is in life and feeling like you NEED to take a pretending job with unfavorable circumstances SIMPLY BECAUSE you'll be paid millions; I don't think Amanda is hurting for money or recognition right now lol

GeneralZod - 6/18/2020, 6:21 AM

"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."

That's why the call it "work," my dear. And you would actually have gotten well paid for your services, to boot.

Thing94 - 6/18/2020, 6:26 AM

She regrets it, big paydays she missed out on lol

TheUnworthyThor - 6/18/2020, 7:42 AM

THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 6/18/2020, 7:49 AM

She would have been a great Gamora.

She'd also be perfect for Poison Ivy or Harley Quinn. She has that crazy look in her eyes.

99OPTIMISTPRIME - 6/18/2020, 8:44 AM

Gamora's past self, shouldn't be allowed to exist in the current timeline. That's one of the few things about Endgame, that doesn't work. She should've just vanished after Tony's snap.

TheMandalorian - 6/18/2020, 11:48 AM

...worse reason ever not to play an amazing character... whinny voice: "this make-up takes to long" wahhh!

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GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: Amanda Seyfried Reflects On Passing On Playing Gamora In The MCU

Amanda Seyfried was once one of Marvel Studios' top choices to play Gamora in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy, and the actress has now explained why she decided to pass on playing the character...

10. Ed Norton (The Hulk) = Walked Away

9. Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man) = Fired

8. Shailene Woodley (Mary Jane Watson) = Fired

7. Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) = Walked Away

6. Ben Affleck (Batman) = Walked Away

5. Ruby Rose (Batwoman) = Walked Away

4. James Purefoy (V) = Fired

3. Dougray Scott (Wolverine) = Walked Away

2. Terrence Howard (Rhodey) = Fired

1. Michelle Pfeiffer (Catwoman) = Fired

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