#Marvel Gave Eternals Director Chloé Zhao the Freedom to Make the MCU Movie She Wanted

The upcoming Marvel movie, Eternals, has the potential to change the MCU as we know it. With such a huge responsibility resting on her shoulders, you would think that Eternals director Chloé Zhao would have been kept on a short leash by the studio’s head honchos, but, according to Zhao, she had ample freedom to do exactly what she wanted with the movie.

“I think that Marvel has been so incredible, that Kevin and Nate and the whole team, they knew from the moment I pitched the film, I really wanted to [have], you know, the scope and scale, and, at the same time, the intimacy. They knew I wanted both and they have been so incredible holding my hand through the entire process of allowing me to go as far as possible and as small as possible, and how that fit into the whole MCU. It’s been a pretty incredible process, you have to wait and see.”

RELATED: Fantastic Four, Galactus & Silver Surfer’s MCU Arrival Teased in Leaked Eternals Details
Eternals is likely to shake up the MCU as it moves into Phase 4 following the ambitious events of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, and while there was some hand holding during the creative process, it sounds like this was a comfort to Chloé Zhao as opposed to a restraint, with the filmmaker able to maintain the intimacy that she wanted to bring to the project along with the big set pieces expected of an MCU installment.

Eternals will introduce audiences to The Eternals, a species of immortal aliens from a distant planet who arrived on earth thousands of years ago and have been protecting humans since the dawn of time. Created by the Celestials, a race of powerful extra-terrestrial cosmic beings who have secretly lived on Earth for over 7000 years, The Eternals must reunite to protect humanity from their evil counterparts.

Directed by Chloé Zhao from a screenplay by Matthew and Ryan Firpo, Eternals will further explore the cosmic aspect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Zhao dedicated to putting her own spin on the superhero genre and likening to another hugely popular science fiction franchise.

“Again, back to world-building. It is my favorite thing,” Zhao said recently while discussing her approach to joining the decade-spanning franchise. “That’s why I love Star Wars. There is a world that is so rich. I wanted to enter it and see what I can do. It’s the same as what you’re saying. Can I put a spin on it while still being true to the essence of it? That’s exciting to me. It’s not that different than me going to the world of rodeo cowboys and saying, ‘My spin on that is going to be this,’ and it’s a collaboration. The chemistry of that, when it’s right, it could be very exciting.”

The movie stars an epic MCU ensemble cast that includes the likes of Angelina Jolie as Thena, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Don Lee as Gilgamesh, Kit Harington as Dane Whitman, Gemma Chan as Sersi, and Barry Keoghan as Druig. Eternals is currently set for release on November 5, 2021. This comes to us courtesy of Margaret Gardiner.

Topics: The Eternals