Unbothered, Marvel Executive Victoria Alonso Speaks Spanish With Salma Hayek On ‘Eternals’ Red Carpet

Screenshot via YouTube

If you’re a native Spanish speaker in the U.S., you know how anxiety-inducing it can sometimes be to speak Spanish in public. Every time you open your mouth, you’re wondering whether there’s a bigot waiting in the corner ready to come out and demand that you speak English. That’s why it’s so refreshing to see people loudly and proudly speak Spanish in public. Because after all, there is no “official language” of the United States. 

At the premiere of the “Eternals” Marvel movie, Argentine Marvel executive Victoria Alonso had an adorable exchange with Salma Hayek in Spanish on the red carpet. 

While “Eternals” co-stars Salma Hayek and Don Lee were being interviewed on the red carpet, Alonso arrived, and Hayek’s face visibly lit up. The two Latinas began to speak in Spanish about the adorable young Latino fans in the audience. Soon, Alonso tried to contribute her thoughts to the interviewers. But (seemingly, without realizing), Alonso began speaking to the interviewers in Spanish, prompting Hayek to say,: “They don’t speak Spanish!”. (The exchange starts at the 1:12:10 mark).

Unbothered, Alonso brushed off the observation, replying in Spanish: “I’m not interested. Let everyone learn,” while pointing to the audience. Of course, this sent Hayek into a fit of laughter. “This is how international the movie is!” the interviewer said in response to the foreign language conversation happening in front of him. 

Later, Victoria Alonso clarified what she had been so excited to talk about that she forgot what language she was speaking. 

“Here you have the first Latina,” she said, gesturing to Hayek, “…The first South Korean,” while gesturing to Lee, while adding:  “God bless Eternals.” 

And indeed, “Eternals” is bringing some much-needed diversity to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Along with Salma Hayek and Don Lee, the cast of “Eternals” also includes Chinese-British actress Gemma Chan, Pakistani actor Kumail Nanjiani, African-American actor Brian Tyree Henry, and Blaxican actress Lauren Ridloff (who also happens to be deaf). All in all, “Eternals” might be Marvel’s most diverse movie yet.

“Eternals” isn’t the only trailblazer at Marvel, however. Last month, Victoria Alonso was given the title of “President” at Marvel Studios.

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Alonso’s official role is president of physical, post-production, VFX, and animation at the blockbuster company—which makes her one of the most powerful Latinas in Hollywood. Scratch that—one of the most powerful women in Hollywood, period. And judging by the video above, she doesn’t let all that power steal her sense of humor.

In addition to being a Latina in Hollywood, Alonso is also gay and is married to actress Imelda Corcoran. Alonso has even been using her sway at Marvel Studios to advocate for an LGBTQ superhero. “I would feel honored to have a member of the LGBTQ+ group represented in our films and I hope the future shows that,” she said during a Reddit AMA. “The world is ready, the world is ready.”

Of her differences, Alonso says that she never saw them as drawbacks. Instead, she saw them as superpowers (pun intended). “I knew I was a little different, but I embraced those differences,” she said in an interview with Luz Collective. “When you come from different places and points of view, and you have a position where you have a voice that is heard, you can open up someone’s ideas.”