The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown and changed in ways that no one could have predicted. Now, 18 years and 38 films later, this interconnected continuity feels bigger than it ever has, and Kevin Feige and the other Marvel executives don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. In recent years, however, the overall quality of these comic book adaptations has dipped considerably, leading some to abstain from watching any future MCU efforts and others to approach the studio’s new releases with apprehension. Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Thunderbolts* are excellent, but they’re the exception, not the rule. Unfortunately, the middling quality of recent MCU films has buried or tarnished truly great ideas, many of which deserved better. One of these movies, released in 2021, had a great cast and was unlike anything Marvel had put out before, but for whatever reason, critics and audiences didn’t respond well to it. The story featured a group of ancient super-powered beings who arrived on Earth at the very beginning of human history. Now, five years after the film’s release, its director is revisiting the experience, defending comic adaptations and gushing about her brief time in the MCU.
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Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao, who helmed the MCU movie Eternals, spoke at length about the film (via Variety) during a masterclass at the Venice Film Festival. “I loved doing it. For any of you who love anime, I know you know this was a girl’s dream come true,” she said. “Comic books are the western equivalent of [manga]. They are very different, but I live in the west, and that’s what I had access to.” She then addressed the ongoing debate about whether or not superhero films are high art. “I do feel it’s important to not write off stories because we don’t consider them high art,” she continued. ““The purpose of storytelling for me, humbly, is to create containers for people … to try to process what they need to process. Archetypes are such a great way to do it — and we see them in myths — is because it’s something we all share.”
Where EternalsMight’ve Gone Wrong
Eternals had a ton going for it. Zhao was a highly acclaimed filmmaker by the time it hit theaters, and the years since have further cemented her talent. She helmed last year’s incredible, heartbreaking Hamnet, which won star Jessie Buckley the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role. It wasn’t just the behind-the-camera talent that made Eternals so promising. The heroes at its center were unlike other MCU characters in a few critical ways: they were ancient, near-immortal, and imbued with powers that eclipse many of Marvel’s heaviest hitters. The cast included Gemma Chan as the matter-manipulating Sersi, Richard Madden as the ludicrously powerful Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Eternal-turned-Bollywood-star Kingo, Lia McHugh as the illusionist Sprite, Bryan Tyree Henry as the brilliant Phastos, Lauren Ridloff as the speedster Makkari, Barry Keoghan as mind controller Druig, Salma Hayek as the wise Ajak, Don Lee as the unstoppable Gilgamesh, Angelina Jolie as weapons master Thena, and Kit Harington as Sersi’s boyfriend, Dane Whitman. The film was an opportunity for Marvel and Disney to tell a different sort of story, one that was separate from everything else happening around it but that still felt like a piece of something greater.
But while the film’s most promising elements never quite coalesced into an all-timer for Marvel, they didn’t render it unwatchable, either. Sure, the script failed to connect audiences with its characters, who proved a much tougher sell than Zhao and Feige anticipated. And yes, it plods too much for too long, but the performances are excellent, the visuals are stunning, and the themes, underdeveloped as they were, still presented interesting questions worth our time and attention. It’s a shame Eternals performed as poorly as it did, because there’s quite a bit to like about what Zhao managed to assemble.
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