'Lot of people are going to feel seen': Salma Hayek talks about diversity in 'Eternals' cast

Hollywood’s Latina beauty, Salma Hayek, who has been cast for the upcoming Marvel movie ‘Eternals’, recently talked about being a part of the film’s diverse cast. According to Variety, director Chloe Zhao was very aware it’s not every day that a Latina woman in her 50s is cast in a Marvel movie. 

Speaking about this, Zhao told Variety, "Ageism in Hollywood is a very concerning issue that we must stand against as artists. Ageing is a beautiful part of life that should be celebrated. It’s really an honour for us to have Salma to lead the ‘Eternals’ family. I can’t take all the credits.”

Talking about the diversity in the cast of ‘Eternals’, she added, "When executive producer Nate Moore first showed me the treatment, which he worked on with writers Kaz Firpo and Ryan Firpo, I was impressed with the age diversity of the characters they put together, and it was a big part of what got me really excited about ‘Eternals’.”

While audiences have only seen a glimpse of Hayek in character, she said that seeing herself for the first time in costume was an emotional experience. "I am claustrophobic. I was terrified of the costume. I was terrified. Because if I cannot move and it’s kind of thick... I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m not going to be able to breathe. It’s going to drive me crazy’,” she said.

Hayek continued talking about her costume and said, “And I went to put it on, I found myself profoundly moved. It was a very strange experience because I didn’t expect it. I forgot about how does it fit? Am I going to get a claustrophobic attack? All I could see was, ‘Oh my God, here’s a Mexican female in this outfit and this is really happening. And yes, we get to be superheroes’.”

Adding to her comment, Zhao said, “I think we all gasped. She looked so strong and beautiful.”

Zhao has been praised for her inclusive casting of the film, which includes Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Harish Patel, Barry Keoghan, Mia Dong-seok, Richard Madden and Kit Harington.

“I think a lot of people are going to feel seen and that’s important and that’s what matters. It’s not diverse for the sake of being diverse. It’s the way she chose every single one of us that really creates a family for the purpose of the Eternals. For the purpose of the film. It doesn’t feel forced," Hayek said, talking about the film’s diverse cast.

The film focuses on a race of never-ageing, never-fading figures known as ‘The Eternals’, who were created by powerful godlike creatures known as the Celestials. Since their birth thousands of years ago, ‘The Eternals’ have kept watch over the Earth throughout human history. The upcoming superhero flick which is slated to release this year was earlier set to hit big screens on November 6, 2020.