Zoe Saldana backtracks on movie franchise criticism

Zoe Saldana has clarified her comments about being "stuck" in movie franchises.

The 'Avatar: The Way of Water' star recently lamented how roles in 'Star Trek' and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) had limited her creatively but has now backtracked on the remarks and says she is grateful to have had the opportunity to work on major blockbusters.

Zoe told Deadline at the premiere of the 'Avatar' sequel: "I would love to set the record straight.

"I feel grateful and I feel like the luckiest girl in this town knowing that I was invited to join films with special directors in a special cast. And they resonated with people so much that we get a chance to come back again and come back another time.

"If anything, I've reaped all the benefits of that, I've gained friends. I still have mentors that I call and lean into."

Zoe has eight-year-old twins Cy and Bowie, and Zen, six, with her husband Marco Perego and admits that she found it a struggle to juggle her franchise responsibilities with raising children.

She explained: "But you know, I think that once I started a family, it just became really hard for me to sustain both worlds and also cater to this curiosity of playing other different characters or playing earthlings you know, but I'm happy in space. I've always been happy in space. I relate to people that love space as well."

Zoe, 44, says she relates to directors like James Gunn and James Cameron as they all see themselves as "misfits".

The 'Guardians of the Galaxy' actress said: "I relate to men like James Gunn and James Cameron and JJ Abrams, and Steven Spielberg. Because maybe there is a common thread, maybe there's something that we all have in common of knowing what it's like to be misfits, and growing up feeling like you don't belong and finding that space created that blank canvas, where you can imagine the unimaginable.

"And the fact that they saw me, a little girl from Queens and I can do those things for them, I can only be so grateful if they call me back again and again and again."