Amanda Seyfriend assumed that Guardians of the Galaxy was going to bomb at the box office so she turned down the role of Gamora, which ultimately went to Zoe Saldana. The actress was offered the role but ultimately passed it up. Initially, she said that the hours of prep work for the character was the reason for not wanting to take the gig, but now, she's further opening up on her reasons.
In 2014, Marvel Studios opened up their cosmic pocket with the introduction of the rag tag team of heroes led by Star-Lord. Directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy became an instant hit, with its obscure but relatable characters quickly becoming fan-favorites. Six years after they first appeared on the big screen, the superhero team has appeared three more times in the MCU via a second standalone movie in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Given this, it's difficult to think that the first film was going to bomb knowing how beloved it is, but Seyfried was dubious of the project when it was offered to her.
Speaking at THR's Awards Chatter in light of her critically-acclaimed performance in David Fincher's Mank, the actress was asked about her decision to pass up on playing Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy. Seyfried candidly revealed that she just wasn't confident that the film was going to succeed and she didn't want to be part of the first Marvel project that failed. Obviously, that didn't happen and she also acknowledged that in the interview.
“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.
“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?”
Without the benefit of hindsight, Seyfried's reasoning for not wanting to be in Guardians of the Galaxy is perfectly understandable. Marvel Studios was steadily building its massive franchise at that point and the cosmic film was really the first film to not feature any of the original Avengers who were the top-tier characters in MCU. Aside from that, the characters in Guardians of the Galaxy were obscure; outside of the comic book community, they didn't have any name recognition. All of that considered, the project was definitely a risk — one that paid off big time for Marvel Studios. Aside from introducing a string of new characters, it also offered something fresh to viewers which is very important to fight superhero fatigue.
The galactic heroes are slated to return following the Infinity Saga in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 which may have long been delayed but is still in Marvel Studios' slate. Gunn's threequel is expected to mark the end of the original team's run with the director promising a death or two in the movie. As for Seyfried, there's always still a chance to join the MCU through other projects even after she passed up on Guardians of the Galaxy since Marvel Studios is showing no signs of slowing down.
Source: THR's Awards Chatter
