10 Insane Reasons Actors Didn’t Return for Sequels
3. Zoe Saldana Hated Behind The Scenes Politics - Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Before appearing as Gamora and Neytiri in four of the highest-grossing movies of all time (Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Avatar, and Avatar: The Way of Water), Zoe Saldana appeared in another one of Disney's biggest cinematic franchises.
Opposite the likes of Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly, and Orlando Bloom, Saldana portrayed Anamaria in 2003's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. However, there were no further appearances for one of the few female characters in the Pirates opener.
Anamaria had crossed paths with Captain Jack previously, and as the only woman who applied to become part of the crew Sparrow put together in Tortuga, she became so important that she was essentially his second-in-command. Strange then, that she was never seen or mentioned again, which all comes down to how Saldana was treated on set.
The actor has confirmed that this was nothing to do with the cast, but rather the elitist politics and how she was viewed for being lower on the call sheet than others. So bad were the conditions created that, at just 21 years old, Saldana considered leaving the industry altogether. Thankfully, it would seem that this hasn't been reflective of her experiences since.