Superhero movies are the most popular genre in the cinema these days, but that doesn't mean there aren't still people who write the movies off as mindless entertainment. Zoe Saldana, who plays Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy knows that she makes movies that others view as "selling out," but she knows what she does has the ability to inspire kids, and she clearly takes that responsibility seriously. She really has an issue with people who don't respect that. According to Saldana...
I've been in rooms with people in this industry who are great at what they do, but they're absolutely elitist and they look down at movies like the Marvel films or actors like myself. They think we're selling out in some way. Every time they speak I feel so disappointed in them, because whenever you see pictures of people in this industry who donate their time to children in need, it's these actors that live in the world that you feel is selling out. It's these actors that understand the role that they play inspires a five-year-old who has one dying wish to meet a superhero. That actor takes time out of their life and sits down with that five-year-old and says, 'I see you, I hear you, and you matter.'
Zoe Saldana has been involved in numerous massive box-office franchises. In addition to the Marvel films she's also part of the Star Trek and Avatar franchises, so she knows what she's talking about. While her work in these movies has made her incredibly popular, she says there are still those who look down on the sorts of movies that she makes, though clearly, it doesn't bother her too much, she sees the way her movies inspire people to be more than worthy.
There has always been something of a separation between the sorts of movies that tend to win awards and the ones that tend to make a lot of money. The two classes of cinema rarely cross paths in any meaningful way and it seems that there are still people who view the blockbusters as a lesser form of art. Zoe Saldana tells Net-A-Porter that those people should reconsider their position because superhero movies are important to many people, especially the young.
Those elitists should be a little more cognizant about what playing a superhero means to a young child. Because you're not just dissing me, you're dissing what that child considers important in their world. I feel so proud to be living in space, to be playing green and blue aliens, to inspire, primarily, the younger generations. I remember what it was like to be young and to feel completely excluded out of the mainstream conversation of life because I was just little and unimportant and 'other'.
Superhero movies might be considered mainstream now, but the material has always attracted those who didn't quite feel like they fit a certain mold. Zoe Saldana thinks that inspiring kids is worthwhile, and the fact that aliens and superheroes is what inspires them isn't important.
