Amanda Seyfried explains why she turned down Gamora in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’

Amanda Seyfried has explained why she turned down the role of Gamora in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, admitting she feared the film could damage her acting career.

In a career retrospective with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the 40-year-old actress recalled her initial doubts about the superhero film, which was eventually released in 2014 with Zoe Saldaña playing Gamora.

“I think turning down Guardians of the Galaxy was just so obvious to me at the time,” Seyfried said. “I’m like, ‘This is not going to be a hit. The tree and the raccoon are talking to each other.’ And I was just like, ‘This will ruin my career if this is bad. And there’s a high chance that this could be bad.’”

Despite acknowledging that her prediction was wrong, Seyfried said she did not regret her decision.

She explained that her priorities extended beyond her professional ambitions, including her plans to start a family.

“I mean, obviously I was wrong. But I still don’t take back that decision. I made it for myself. I made it for my family that I knew I wanted to have,” she said.

The actress also cited the physical demands of superhero productions as another reason for declining the part, explaining that she disliked extensive time in the make-up trailer, performing stunts and working at heights.

Asked whether she would consider appearing in a superhero film in the future, Seyfried replied, “No, unless the superhero’s just, you know, walkin’ a lot.”

Seyfried previously said she preferred roles involving realistic interactions between people, describing such performances as more fulfilling than the demands of a large-scale superhero production.