Seyfried Talks Passing On “Guardians Of The Galaxy”

Guardians of the Galaxy is regarded as one of the most successful MCU films to date. Bolstered by an inspired cast, led by Chris Pratt in his first role as a leading man, and a visionary director in James Gunn, the film had all the needed credentials to be great.  

Even so, the project was met with a significant amount of trepidation. Industry experts predicted the film would fail and Marvel would have its first true misfire. Fears for the film were so high in Hollywood, that there were some issues with casting.

In fact, the original choice for Gamora was not Zoe Saldana, but rather, Mean Girls alum Amanda Seyfried. However, she passed on the role because she thought the movie would be a flop. While speaking with THR’s Awards Chatter during press for her appearance in David Fincher’s Mank, Seyfried was asked about her decision, and she stated that:

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?

Her concerns are quite legitimate. Actors often get stigmatized by failing films, regardless of whether it was their fault or not. While her fears were all for naught, as Guardians of the Galaxy was a hit, few imagined it would be as successful as it was, raking in over 750 million at the worldwide box office.

Seyfried freely admits she was mistaken about Guardians of the Galaxy, and likely even sees it an opportunity missed. The film is now considered a classic of superhero cinema and the characters, and actors who portrayed them are now household names. The series got a sequel in 2017, and a threequel is on from Disney and James Gunn, likely hitting theaters sometime in 2022. Marvel knew they had a goldmine IP on their hands, even if few had faith in a talking tree at the time.