Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie were shocked, excited to land ‘Eternals’ roles

Oct. 27 (UPI) — Eternals stars Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie were “shocked” and “excited” to land roles in the upcoming film.

Hayek, 55, and Jolie, 46, discussed their casting in the Marvel film during an appearance with their co-star Kit Harington on Wednesday’s episode of Good Morning America.

Eternals centers on the titular Eternals, a race of long-lived humans with superpowers. The film is written and directed by Chloé Zhao.

On GMA, Hayek expressed her surprise that Marvel reached out to her in her 50s. The actress plays Ajak, a White male character in the original comics.

“It didn’t come in my 20s, it didn’t come in my 30s, it didn’t come in my 40s, and all of the sudden they show up in my 50s? I’m Mexican, a 50-year-old woman, playing a part that was made into a woman, because in the comic he’s a man,” she said. “It’s a beautiful shocker.”

Jolie said she was “very curious and excited” when Marvel contacted her but was initially told nothing about her role as Thena.

“You sit there in these meetings and you’re looking at all these different pictures around, and you’re trying to figure out what am I? Or who am I? Am I a person, a voice, or a raccoon?” she said, referencing the Guardians of the Galaxy character Rocket.

Angelina Jolie, Kit Harrington and @salmahayek talk @MarvelStudios’ #Eternals@TheEternalshttps://t.co/kEio7VNaeD pic.twitter.com/E3boLEccHV— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 27, 2021

Hayek said it was “emotional” to see herself in costume for the first time as a woman of color playing a superhero.

The actress previously said on Late Night with Seth Meyers that keeping her role secret was a “torturous” experience.”

Eternals opens in theaters Nov. 5. The film co-stars Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff and Barry Keoghan.

Jolie attended the film’s Rome Film Festival premiere with her daughters Zahara and Shiloh this week.