'Eternals': Salma Hayek Reveals She Thought Marvel Would Cast Her As Grandmother

Salma Hayek is all set to have her Marvel debut in "Eternals" this year. However, according to the 54-year-old actress, she initially thought the media franchise would ask her to play a small role like a grandmother in the movie.

"I said, 'Forget it,'" she said in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. "I said, 'God knows what kind of grandmother they want me to play.' I'm used to being [told] I'm going to be the extra or the old prostitute. And then they said the director was Chloé Zhao, and I said, 'Okay! Let's have the meeting!'"

She eventually learned that director Chloé Zhao herself had chosen her to play Ajak, the leader of the group.

Hayek took to Instagram Wednesday to share a motion poster of her character. In the caption, she wrote, "After a long wait. I can finally feel the arrival of the @eternals approaching."

Besides Hayek, many actors will also mark their Marvel debut with "Eternals." They include Angelina Jolie (Thena), Gemma Chan (Sersi), Richard Madden (Ikaris), Kumail Nanjiani (Kingo), Lia McHugh (Sprite), Brian Tyree Henry (Phastos), Lauren Ridloff (Makkari), Barry Keoghan (Druig) and Don Lee (Gilgamesh).

"Eternals" is the third release of Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The action-adventure flick is scheduled to hit the theaters on Nov. 5.

Marvel already kicked off Phase Four with the release of "Black Widow," starring Scarlett Johansson, in July 2021. The studio is also set to release the second movie in the lineup, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," on Sept. 2. The movie will star Simu Liu.

After "Eternals," Marvel will release "Spider-Man: No Way Home," "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," "Thor: Love and Thunder," "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," "The Marvels," "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."

The franchise is yet to announce two more movies in Phase Four: "Fantastic Four" and "Blade."

Besides "Eternals," Hayek will also be seen in "House of Gucci," which also stars Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto and Al Pacino. The movie will come out on Nov. 26.