Skip to main content Salma Hayek on the Diverse Cast of 'Eternals': 'A Lot of People Are Going to Feel Seen' Marc Malkin, provided by FacebookTwitterEmail It’s not every day that a Latina woman in her 50s stars in a Marvel movie. It’s something that director Chloé Zhao was very aware of when she cast 54-year-old Salma Hayek to play Ajak in the upcoming “Eternals.” “Ageism in Hollywood is a very concerning issue that we must stand against as artists,” Zhao tells Variety. “Aging is a beautiful part of life that should be celebrated. It’s really an honor for us to have Salma to lead the ‘Eternals’ family. I can’t take all the credits. When [executive producer] Nate Moore first showed me the treatment, which he worked on with [writers] Kaz Firpo and Ryan Firpo, I was impressed with the age diversity of the characters they put together, and it was a big part of what got me really excited about ‘Eternals.’”