Zoe Saldana: Massive MCU is 'fun but a little daunting'
US actress Zoe Saldana excited over the bigger battles ahead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Zoe Saldana has a lot on her plate.
In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, her character Gamora has to establish herself as a worthy member of the Guardians and be the emotional rock for Chris Pratt's Peter Quill.
Then, in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, she needs to ensure that Gamora is equipped for the battle with her big bad daddy Thanos (Josh Brolin), the main villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies.
"It's fun but a little daunting," the 38-year-old US actress told The New Paper at The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo, when asked how she felt about starring in Infinity War.
Thanos' quest for the six Infinity Stones runs throughout the MCU movies - Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015) and Doctor Strange (2016) - and will culminate in Infinity War, helmed by Joe and Anthony Russo.
"I was initially overwhelmed as it's such a big production," Saldana said. "Will the Avengers overwhelm the Guardians? Will the audiences take to us, the Guardians, as part of the Avengers?
"But the Russo brothers are great directors, and we have (Guardians director) James Gunn hired to executive produce it, so we know he will be able to keep the Guardians voice intact."
Saldana, who has three-year-old twin boys and a two-month-old son, is just happy to be part of such family films that kids can get excited about.
In Vol. 2, which opens here tomorrow, Gamora also has to deal with her antagonistic stepsister Nebula (Karen Gillan). Their sibling rivalry is a result of Thanos pitting both daughters against each other ever since they were young.
Saldana said working with Gillan was great and people should be empathetic towards Nebula.
"We should not write Nebula off so easily. There's more than meets the eye. So much pain has been inflicted on her under Thanos' grip."
Gunn, 46, added in a separate interview that he always loves "to find the good in people".
"All the Guardians were villains before they were heroes, so I think it only makes sense that we continue to explore the possibility of redemption. Nebula was truly a villain in the first movie, and now to see what caused her to be that way... the background of Nebula and Gamora is very interesting."
I was initially overwhelmed as it’s such a big production... Will the audiences take to us, the Guardians, as part of the Avengers?Zoe Saldana
Gunn added that fans need not fear the Guardians being overshadowed by the Avengers.
While Infinity War will mainly be an Avengers movie, he rewrote the portion of the script that involved the Guardians.
"They are a bickering bunch. I can only do what I can to make sure they remain who they are, and I think it's working out very well so far," Gunn said.
He added that the Guardians are not superheroes like the Avengers, as his movies "are more like space adventures, much like Star Wars".
He is "proud" that the first movie was hailed as a game-changer to the comic book movie adaptation genre, and that subsequent Marvel flicks like Doctor Strange and Thor: Ragnarok have adopted a lighter, fun tone.
"I can't think of anything more flattering than when other film-makers tell me they love my movie, especially when the praise comes from people I look up to, such as Steven Spielberg, Matthew Vaughn and Matt Reeves."
He added: "People always say there is superhero exhaustion, but movie-goers are still buying tickets to watch them, and I'm thankful for that."
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
