Superhero movies are quite possibly at the height of their popularity – with no signs of slowing down any time soon. They make a ton of money at the Box Office and have fans everywhere. That doesn’t mean, however, that there are people who turn their nose up at the films. Some actors believe taking a role in a film like that is the equivalent of “selling out”. Zoe Saldana, star of Guardians of the Galaxy, has a strong message for those people, though:
“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.'”
She then went on to say:
“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’.”
It’s definitely an interesting perspective, and one that I’m sure a lot of people won’t disagree with. As far as when we’ll see Saldana’s Gamora next, it won’t be very long, as she’s appearing in Avengers: Infinity War – which hits theaters on April 27th.
What do you think of Saldana’s comments? Do you agree or disagree? Be sure to tell us your thoughts in the comments!