So far, we’ve seen about 15 seconds of footage from Marvel Studios’ “Eternals,” but the excitement for this new superhero franchise is already off the charts. A good portion of that buzz has to come from the fact that Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloe Zhao is behind the camera for the film. But perhaps most of the hype comes from the star-studded cast that Marvel has put together including Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Richard Madden, Kit Harington, Brian Tyree Henry, Gemma Chan, and Salma Hayek, among many others. And according to Hayek, the call she received from Marvel about the film was an utter shock, as the actress believed her superhero days were well behind her.
Speaking to Variety, Hayek talked about the process in which she was cast as Ajak in Marvel Studios’ forthcoming film, “Eternals.” And while she was incredibly excited by the opportunity to appear as a superhero in the film, Hayek was convinced it was some sort of elaborate joke when she got the call that Marvel was interested.
“It never crossed my mind to be in a Marvel movie,” said Hayek. “I guess that I thought that boat had sailed, and it was an absolute shock. All of a sudden, I got a call: ‘They want to talk to you about a new franchise.’ And I was like, ‘What?’ And I said OK, but they don’t tell you any information until you’re on the call.”
She continued, “It’s kind of hard to be an action hero if you’re Mexican. It’s really hard to be an action hero if you’re a Mexican and a woman. But to be an action hero, being Mexican, a woman, and my age, it felt like they were punking me. And then the worst part is that I was one of the first people they cast. I had to keep my mouth shut for so many months. I couldn’t tell a soul. And I couldn’t wait for the day that I could say it.”
“Eternals” tells the story of a group of superpowered ancient beings that have existed on Earth for thousands of years in secret. Now, they must come together to fight an enemy that threatens the world. You know, superhero shit.
While she was excited to take on the role of Ajak in the film, the actress was “terrified” by the prospect of signing onto a major film without knowing much of anything about the project. Hayek said that she basically knew the name of her character, the bare basics about the story, and that was mainly all she knew before having to sign the contract.
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“But I was terrified,” she explained. “They tell you you’re going to be in this movie, but they can’t give you a script, and you have to sign the contract. You have to negotiate and sign the contract, and you cannot tell anyone.”
Given Hayek’s career as an actress, no one is doubting her ability to bring Ajak to life and help make “Eternals” another hit for Marvel Studios. We just have to wait until November 5 to see her in action.