Borderlands wanted to channel Guardians of the Galaxy‘s attitude and tone so badly that it ended up featuring a tiny Marvel Cinematic Universe connection in the form of one of its actors. Ariana Greenblatt, who plays Tiny Tina, also appeared in the MCU six years before landing a crucial part in Eli Roth’s Borderlands adaptation. Based on the bestselling video game series of the same name, Borderlands couldn’t even break a $10 million box office over its opening weekend. Needless to say, a lot went wrong with the action-comedy flick, from its story to most of its casting choices.
Led by Cate Blanchett’s bounty hunter Lilith, Borderlands‘ cast of characters is made up of misfits with a penchant for violence. Tiny Tina, a feral child with a love for explosions, encapsulates that characterization more than most. Although Borderlands changes Tiny Tina’s origins by turning her into the daughter of a corporate magnate named Atlas (Edgar Ramírez), Greenblatt does the best she can to capture the fan-favorite character’s unhinged sensibilities. Genetically engineered with biological material from the ancient Eridians, Tina seems crucial to the fate of the planet — and, given her MCU past, that’s nothing new for Greenblatt.
Borderlands’ Tiny Tina Actress Played Young Gamora In Avengers: Infinity War
Ariana Greenblatt Appeared In The MCU Before Her Barbie & Ahsoka Roles
Before nabbing her role in Borderlands, Ariana Greenblatt appeared in Avengers: Infinity War, the penultimate installment in the MCU’s Infinity Saga. As such, the young actor is no stranger to joining a storied franchise or beloved IP. In Infinity War, Greenblatt played young Gamora in a flashback that chronicled how, exactly, the Guardians of the Galaxy assassin became Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) adopted daughter. In the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, as well as in the present timeline of the Avengers films, Gamora is played by Zoe Saldaña. However, it was Greenblatt’s performance that raised the emotional stakes in Infinity War.
[Greenblatt’s] moment with Thanos sets the stage for so much of what happens in both Infinity War and Gamora’s life at large.
In the flashback, it’s revealed that the genocidal titan Thanos murdered half of the people on Gamora’s home planet, including her mother. Afterward, Thanos forcibly adopted Gamora, turning her into an assassin who did his bidding for the next few decades. Although Gamora finds a new family with the Guardians of the Galaxy, she’s drawn back into Thanos’ schemes when he sacrifices her to attain the Infinity Gauntlet’s Soul Stone. Although Greenblatt’s time as young Gamora is short, her moment with Thanos sets the stage for so much of what happens in both Infinity War and Gamora’s arc at large.
How Ariana Greenblatt’s Tiny Tina Compares To Guardians Of The Galaxy’s Gamora
Tina Is A Little More Unhinged Than Gamora — But Just As Abused By Her “Father Figure”
While Greenblatt has gone on to play a variety of characters, including the enthusiastic young version of Ahsoka Tano in Ahsoka and the no-nonsense teenager Sasha in Barbie, her turns as Gamora and Tiny Tina share some DNA. While young Gamora is more measured and thoughtful than the over-the-top Tina, both characters aren’t afraid to resort to displays of violence — very brutal violence — in order to survive. In fact, both characters are survivors at their core. While Tina overcomes a lot of ruthlessness on Pandora, Gamora spends most of her life navigating Thanos’ abusive behavior.
Although Atlas and Thanos have different aims as villains, both antagonists are united by their manipulative behavior, especially where their (forcibly) adopted daughters are concerned. Atlas wants to use Tina’s genetics to open Pandora’s mythic Vault, while the MCU’s titan cultivates a relationship with Gamora that leads to Thanos’ worst (and saddest) MCU kill. Despite framing themselves as father figures, Atlas and Thanos are fine with abusing the young people they’ve taken in. While Borderlands isn’t the Guardians of the Galaxy replacement it wants to be, Greenblatt unites the franchises with her apt portrayals of characters who share similar traits.