SAN DIEGO (AP) — For Salma Hayek, her role in “Everly” was her toughest yet.

“It might not seem like shooting those guns is physical, but it was,” Hayek told the crowd at Comic-Con on Friday. “They were heavy!”

Hayek plays a captured woman who tries to escape from an apartment building by any means necessary. The “Desperado” and “Frida” star told fans at the pop-culture convention that “Everly” shows off the determination of women. It features the 47-year-old actress taking down waves of baddies with guns, grenades and an assortment of other artillery.

“We can do amazing things,” she told the audience. “But please don’t go shooting anyone. It’s a metaphor.”

“Everly” filmmaker Joe Lynch, who previously directed “Knights of Badassdom,” called the titular role a strong female character, but he also scoffed at the moniker.

“That shouldn’t even be a thing,” Lynch said. “It should just be strong characters.”

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