Zoe Saldaña has had a successful career in action movies. He has landed many iconic roles in many franchises, and kicked a lot of butt along the way. Right now Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has arrived, let’s look at five of the the best Zoe Saldaña action movies.
Star Trek (2009)
Zoe Saldaña is the perfect choice to play a modern version of Nyota Uhura, originally played by Nichelle Nichols in the 1966 Star Trek series. All three are modern Star Trek The films leans more towards the action genre than most previous interpretations. This allowed Saldaña to show off her chops as this new, imagined iteration of Uhura.
The actress mixes the perfect amount of confidence with vulnerability, which is a stark contrast to her emotionally drained love interest, Spock. He excels throughout the movie, whether he’s interpreting distress calls or bringing much-needed maturity to the bridge. Saldaña remained in the role for two sequels – Star Trek: Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Known in Marvel comics as “the deadliest woman in the galaxy,” the character of Gamora cannot be played by anyone. Saldaña pulls it off perfectly, and portrays the anti-heroine as equal parts evil and vulnerable. He can hang out with Thanos or talk to his sister Nebula, and neither side feels out of character.
Although Saldaña was excellent in all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies, the second is where the character is at his peak. From her relationship with Nebula to her complicated feelings for Star-Lord, Gamora outshines the entire cast of the sequel.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War is easily one of Zoe Saldaña’s best action movies. the Marvel Studios The sequel focuses heavily on Gamora’s “adoptive father”, the Mad Titan Thanos. This allows for many bright moments for Gamora, as she battles the villain and revisits the trauma he inflicted on her and Nebula. The character is a key part of making Thanos work as a villain, and Saldaña nails their complex relationship.
While Gamora dies in this movie, the show leading up to that moment is amazing. The sacrifice scene is heart-wrenching and leaves viewers with a pit in their stomachs, which can be chalked up to Saldaña’s emotive delivery. Additionally, fans get a different Gamora in Avengers: Endgame when another timeline version of the character crosses over. This allowed for further development of Endgame and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The latter film seems the end of Saldaña’s time in the MCUwhich is a nice ride all around.
Avatar: The Waterway (2022)
The sequel to Avatar in 2022 captivated audiences, which is impressive given the 13-year wait for the second movie. Fans who want to return to Pandora are treated to a touching story about the cycle of life. It was given more weight by Zoe Saldaña’s intense performance as Neytiri.
Neytiri went through a lot in Avatar: The Way of Water, so it will take committed acting to sell audiences on the sequel’s heavy emotional stakes. Saldaña pulls it off in spades, as she alternates between a fiercely loving mother and an unstoppable warrior. There’s a scene near the end during Quaritch’s battle that’s especially poignant, which perfectly showcases Saldaña’s range. Future Avatar sequels will definitely improve if they keep Neytiri an active presence, as she was one of the best parts of both James Cameron’s blockbuster epics.
Colombia (2011)
Colombiana will be one of the best Zoe Saldaña action movies based on herself to lead it. Although it has a long intro that follows the nine-year-old version of the character of the actress played by Power StenbergSaldaña hit the ground running the moment she debuted and made an undercover hit.
Between disguises and assassinations, Cataleya Restrepo is an incredibly experienced contract killer. He is dangerous, and Saldaña convinces you of that. There’s a thrilling scene later in the movie where Saldaña escapes from a SWAT team, then takes out an entire gang afterward — further proof that the actress is an action legend.