Zoe Saldana Weighs In On The Differences Between Trekkies And MCU Fans
Throughout the vast and varied world of contemporary and classic entertainment media, franchise fandoms are aplenty. The space saga series "Star Trek" in the 1960s and the emergence of George Lucas' "Star Wars" in 1977 helped to define the earliest origins of super fandoms that are commonplace in today's film and television world. "Star Trek" fans have distinctively been known as Trekkies for decades now, and although no such nickname has ever truly stuck for fans of the multiple franchises within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the fierce dedication to their brand is similar to the passion of Trekkies.
Zoe Saldana is one of the privileged few performers who have experience in multiple fandoms thanks to her role as Nyota Uhura in the most recent "Star Trek" trilogy, as well as portraying Gamora in the MCU. Despite her prolific output, which also includes the "Avatar" films, she revealed to WWD, "I feel that for the last 10 years of my life, I've been just stuck. I felt stuck doing these franchises." She continued by expressing her gratitude for the opportunities her franchise work has brought. But despite the burnout, Saldana's experiences have provided her with a lot of wisdom, to which she has weighed in on the differences between Trekkies and MCU fans.
Zoe Saldana admits that Trekkies are typically much more serious about their fandom
In an episode of "Hot Ones," Zoe Saldana was asked by host Sean Evans if there is a distinction or similarity between the franchise fandoms, to which the actress replied, "No, there are differences. I think that Trekkies take it far more serious. They're lovely. I think it ['Star Trek: The Original Series'] was mirroring the kind of world that people wanted to see at that time in the '60s, so it just has a very special place in people's hearts." The actress continued by expanding on how passionate the fan base is, saying, "There's something really beautiful about seeing a grandfather, a father, and a son or a grandmother, mother, and a daughter all coming together and enjoying this. So yeah, there is a difference."
Saldana is also passionate about the positive benefits of the MCU on its fans. In an interview with Net-A-Porter, the actress revealed, "I've been in rooms with people in this industry who are great at what they do, but they're absolutely elitist, and they look down at movies like the Marvel films or actors like myself. They think we're selling out in some way." She continued by highlighting how those who work in the superhero film genre are passionate about fulfilling the wishes of children and the disadvantaged who look up to their fictional heroes, which goes far beyond film genre preferences or criticisms.