Having remained at the very top of the Hollywood A-list for over 20 years, it’s inevitable that Angelina Jolie would have turned down a huge number of roles in blockbuster franchises during that time, especially when the Academy Award winning actress is just as famed for her action hero credentials as she is her dramatic capabilities.
Jolie is hardly a stranger to effects-driven studio movies, having lent her talents to a pair of Tomb Raiders, the Maleficent duology, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Wanted and many more, but the 46 year-old has been open in admitting that she didn’t have much interest in getting into the superhero business until Chloé Zhao came calling with Eternals.
In a new interview with Empire Magazine, Jolie revealed that she’d turned down a major superhero movie in the past before being convinced to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, although she wouldn’t confirm what it was out of respect for whoever ended up landing the part.
“I don’t usually lean towards superhero or sci-fi films. It’s not usually what I’m looking to do. It felt like something else was happening in this film, though. It was very character-driven. These guys aren’t Spider-Man or Captain America or the Hulk. A lot of hardcore fans won’t know who the Eternals are. Introducing them all at once, that isn’t easy.”
Looking at the sheer volume of comic book adaptations to come out of Hollywood on an annual basis, there’s any number of characters Jolie could have passed on. That’s in the past, though, and the focus has firmly shifted towards Eternals, with the cosmic epic shaping up to be one of the MCU’s most unique installments to date.
The intergalactic origin story comes to theaters exactly five weeks from today, when it’ll hopefully vindicate Jolie’s decision to take the superhero plunge at long last.