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The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a behemoth presence, with a ton of franchises and even Disney+ shows in the works. But a few properties have managed to become fan favorites, especially James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Gunn did great work with a relatively unknown group of heroes, and assembled a killer cast to bring them to life. And it turns out that one of the actors was actually part of the director's pitch to Marvel.
The Guardians of the Galaxy debuted in theaters back in 2014, and made a serious splash. James Gunn put his sense of humor, dance movies, and taste in music in the project, which expanded the MCU with a cosmic story. And it turns out that one of the beloved stars was pitched by Gunn himself: Gamora actress Zoe Saldana. As he recently shared on social media,
It's hard to imagine any other actors as the Guardians of the Galaxy, as every member of James Gunn's cast plays their role to pitch perfection. But the casting process offered unique challenges, and there were no doubt other actresses going out or Gamora. Luckily, Gunn got his first pick when sci-fi queen Zoe Saldana landed the gig.
James Gunn's comments come from his personal Twitter page, and help to peel back the curtain on what it was like bringing the Guardians of the Galaxy to life for the very first time. Gunn has a big task ahead fo him, as he was bringing unknown characters to the big screen and telling a very different MCU story. Luckily, we know that the filmmaker ultimately succeeded in this daunting task.
The Guardians of the Galaxy's tenure in the MCU can be re-watched over on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
While Zoe Saldana was pitched by James Gunn ahead of filming the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, other actresses were obviously considered to play Gamora. Mamma Mia!'s Amanda Seyfried has been open about being offered the role, and turning it down at least partly due to the extensive makeup needed. She's since admitted this was a mistake, but it seemingly made way for Saldana to get to play the deadliest woman in the galaxy.
James Gunn regularly uses social media to reveal tidbits about his creative process, in both the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and his upcoming DC debut The Suicide Squad. While he got his dream Gamora in Zoe Saldana, he previously revealed that one Marvel exec had an issue with Bradley Cooper playing Rocket, given that his voice was unrecognizable in the role. What's more, it took convincing for Chris Pratt to even audition for the role of Star-Lord.
Luckily, the perfect cast was assembled for the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, including a role for the great Glenn Close. And after the success of the first movie, more A-list talent has joined the property for sequels, including Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone. We'll just have to see what Gunn has in store for the highly anticipated Guardians threequel.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently expected to hit theaters sometime in 2023. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trisp to the movies in the New Year.
