With the arrival of the final trailer for Marvel's Eternals, audiences have been offered a closer look at the film's cast of immortal aliens, including Salma Hayek's leader Ajak; however the actress has revealed why she initially turned down the role. Directed by Academy Award winner Chloe Zhao, Eternals follows the titular group across their 7000 years on Earth as they watch over humanity and protect the planet from their mortal foes, the Deviants. With the defeat of Thanos in Endgame, the return of half the planet's population serves as the catalyst for the return of the Deviants, requiring the Eternals to band together once more to protect the planet they call home.
Hayek is joined by Gemma Chan and Richard Madden, who will play estranged lovers Sersi and Ikaris, as well as Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Don Lee, and Brian Tyree Henry. The film was initially scheduled to release in November of 2020, but was delayed as a result of he COVID-19 pandemic to February 2021 before being pushed back once again to this coming November, with Black Widow taking its release date instead. Zhao has remained busy though, using the delays to re-edit the film to better fit with her vision, similar to what David Lowery did with The Green Knight.
Related: MCU Actors Who Should Get Bigger Roles (After Gemma Chan)
According to Hayek, it was Zhao's involvement in the project that primarily drew her to Eternals in the first place. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the actress explained that when she was first contacted by Marvel for the film she initially thought:"Forget it … God knows what kind of grandmother they want me to play." Hayek explained the decision by saying: "I'm used to being [told] I'm going to be the extra or the old prostitute" and expected a similar role in Eternals, however "then they said the director was Chloé Zhao, and I said, 'Okay! Let's have the meeting!'"
Known for her roles in Once Upon A Time in Mexico and Dogma, there is certain a type of role that Hayek tends to find herself in, as she accurately reflects. It's a shame as she is a highly talented actress with a wealth of great performances under her belt, especially her Academy Award nominated performance as Frida Kahlo in 2002's Frida. Thankfully, it seem as though Eternals will offer her the chance to branch out and show her range as the wise, spiritual leader of the group who also serves the bridge between the Eternals and their masters the Celestials.
Still, it's understandable why Hayek would be apprehensive about agreeing to work with Marvel. The company doesn't have the best track record for diversity in their films, although that was more a symptom of Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter. Thankfully that has changed since Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was granted autonomy over the MCU, and has resulted in a far more diverse line-up lately, including the likes of Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and the upcoming Shang-Chi.
Eternals looks to continue this trend with Feige and Zhao selecting a range of actors for the Eternals from different racial groups, and even gender-swapping a few characters. Hopefully bringing Hayek aboard will be a positive step and the actress will have the opportunity to break out from the mould that she has found herself in. Fans will just have to wait and see when Eternals arrives on November 5th.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Salma Hayek Tells Story Of Her Pet Owl Vomiting On Harry Styles' Head
Salma Hayek, star of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, revealed that her pet owl once vomited on pop star Harry Styles’ head. Hayek first appeared as Sonia, the wife of hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson), in 2017’s The Hitman's Bodyguard. After being a surprise hit at the box office, the buddy comedy will be followed up by a sequel releasing in theaters June 16. The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard will see Hayek step into the spotlight after appearing in the first film for only a few minutes.
After starring alongside Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson in the action sequel, Hayek is poised to have a huge year. The Phase 4 Marvel film Eternals will see Hayek star as Ajak, the leader of the ancient superhero team. After Eternals debuts on November 5, it won’t be long until Hayek is seen in Ridley Scott's House of Gucci alongside Adam Driver and Lady Gaga on November 24. While making the press rounds for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, Hayek has been the subject of various anecdotes, such as her slapping Reynolds shockingly hard, and now she has an even more bizarre story to share.
Related: Marvel's Eternals Movie Cast & Character Guide
Appearing on The Ellen Show to promote The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, Hayek recalled a time in which her pet owl, Kering, landed and vomited on Styles’ head. Though she was hesitant to name the “very important celebrity” whose head was the victim of this unfortunate incident, Hayek revealed towards the end of the interview that it was in fact Styles, the former One Direction member turned Dunkirk actor and solo singer. Watch Hayek recount the incident below beginning at the 6:50 mark:
With The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard releasing June 16, Hayek is just about finished making press rounds for the film. However, it won’t be long until Marvel begins the promotional campaign for Eternals, which Hayek will likely be a huge part of considering her prominent role in the film as Eternal Ajak. Hopefully, Hayek will have more interesting anecdotes to share then that could include her high-profile co-stars like Angelina Jolie and Lady Gaga.
Hayek is certainly no stranger to action films after rising to prominence with roles in Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado and From Dusk till Dawn. Her breakthrough role then came in 2002 with Frida, for which she was nominated for an Oscar. While she hasn’t starred in many action flicks since then, she will make her highly-anticipated return to the genre with her prominent role in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard followed by her superhero debut in Eternals.
Source: TheEllenShow
Be the first to comment on this article!