Star of Avatar: The Way of Water Zoe Saldana has clarified remarks she made about feeling constrained to those kinds of roles in her acting career while filming for franchises like Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy. Saldana is best known for her role as Neytiri, the movie’s female lead and Jake Sully’s love interest. Her portrayal of Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, as well as in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, won her widespread acclaim. Saldana recently shared how, despite the success of her roles in both movie series, she feels “stuck” filming franchise movies.
Saldana clarified her feelings regarding her roles in well-known franchises like Avatar & Guardians of the Galaxy in an interview with Deadline at the Avatar: The Way of Water premiere. She expressed appreciation for being a part of successful film series, but she also said she wanted to play more diverse roles in the future. Here is Saldana’s complete statement:
“I would love to set the record straight. I feel grateful and like the luckiest girl in this town knowing that I was invited to join films with special directors in a special cast. And they resonated with people so much so that we get a chance to come back again and come back another time. If anything, I’ve reaped all the benefits of that, I’ve gained friends. I still have mentors that I call and I lean into.”
“But you know, I think that once I started my family, it just became really hard for me to sustain both worlds and also then cater to this curiosity of playing other different characters or playing earthlings you know, but I’m happy in space. I’ve always been happy in space. I relate to people that love space as well.”
The Reason Saldana’s Opinion On Franchise Roles Is Logical
Saldana’s most recent remark demonstrates how appreciative she is to be a part of the MCU and the Avatar franchise, even though she hopes to eventually take on other roles. Her acknowledgment of the popularity of both movie franchises demonstrates how much she values creating compelling characters for the big screen. Saldana acknowledges the commonalities between Avatar and the MCU by taking an interest in her characters’ connections to space and otherworldly locales. What she says demonstrates how, despite her desire to take on new roles in the future, she is drawn to the circumstances Neytiri and Gamora find themselves in.
Although Saldana still plays a significant part in both huge franchises, it makes sense that she would want to take on new, more conventional roles in the future. Although Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy have significant, important differences, Saldana must use a motion capture suit and a lot of makeup for each film. While there is nothing wrong with having a character whose appearance is brought to life through the use of special and practical effects, it also prevents Saldana from truly shining without the use of significant effects adjustments. Saldana would still shine without donning blue CGI or green makeup for a role, her acting abilities not requiring a change in appearance.
Saldana’s upcoming roles, however, currently all center on her well-known characters from the Avatar & Guardians of the Galaxy franchises. She has, however, continued to play characters other than Neytiri and Gamora in recent years, such as Laura Shane in Ryan Reynolds’ The Adam Project and a pivotal role in the animated movie Vivo in 2021. Although Saldana’s portrayal of Neytiri in Avatar: The Way of Water will continue to highlight her acting skills, it makes sense that she would seek out new roles to advance her acting career in the future.
Source: Deadline