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Marvel Studios formally announced Eternals (then officially called THE Eternals) as one of several upcoming Marvel movies during its San Diego Comic-Con panel in 2019. At that time, its release date was also set for late 2020, but now the film is one of the most anticipated 2021 movies fans are looking forward to. Plenty more updates regarding the fascinating Marvel film, starring Angelina Jolie, have surfaced since, and we will take you through all of them now, starting with when exactly it will finally hit theaters.
The Eternals Release Date Is Set For November 2021
At the aforementioned Comic-Con 2019 panel, it was revealed that Eternals was officially set to be released on November 6th, 2020, which felt like a pretty tight window at the time since filming would not even begin until the following September. Of course, shortly after production in England wrapped in early 2020, the pandemic forced Disney to delay the hotly anticipated release until the following February and then again to almost exactly a year after its initial set date. As of now, Eternals is officially set to hit theaters on Friday, November 5, 2021.
The Eternals Are A Team Of Ageless Superheroes From Marvel Comics
Created by Jack Kirby in 1976, the Eternals are a band of humanoids considered an offshoot of the evolutionary process which created sentient life inside the Marvel universe. Once intended protect Earth, and they've gone to war with their counterparts, The Deviants. They are basically superhumans who can live for thousands of years without threat of disease or destruction, a mental bond that unites them, and other extraordinary feats like flight.
In short, they're the best of the best in many respects, but do have some limitations (obviously), which will likely be explored in Eternals. They have several years of history, but it sounds like the characters chosen to be at the forefront of this introductory tale range from a variety of generations. It's unclear how closely this story will follow the origins of the characters from the comics, or when we'll be introduced to the characters with respect to the current timeline of the MCU.
The Eternals Cast Includes Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, And More
The first to join the Eternals cast was Angelina Jolie as Thena before Oscar-nominated actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani got ripped to play super-powered samurai Kingo. From the Game of Thrones cast, we have Richard Madden as leading Eternal Ikaris and Kit Harrington as Dane Whitman, otherwise known as the Black Knight in Marvel Comics. Celebrated Latinx actress Salma Hayek stars as Ajak and Atlanta and Godzilla vs. Kong star Brian Tyree Henry is making history by playing the first openly LGBTQ+ Marvel movie superhero, Phastos.
Irish actor Barry Keoghan of Dunkirk fame plays Druig along with South Korean actor Don Lee of Train to Busan fame as Gilgamesh in Eternals. Fellow horror movie star Lia McHugh (The Lodge) plays the deceptively young-looking Sprite and Sersi is Gemma Chan’s second MCU role after playing Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel. The gender-swapped Makkari is also Lauren Ridloff’s second role in a comic book adaptation after appearing in The Walking Dead cast as Connie.
Chloé Zhao Directed Eternals
In September 2018, it was revealed that Chloé Zhao would direct Eternals, a Chinese-born filmmaker who had already earned a wealth of acclaim for her sophomore feature, The Rider, that year. Zhao was also in the running to direct Black Widow before the position was given to Cate Shortland, but Marvel was clearly impressed with her work, having only been known at the time for independent films, including her directorial debut, Songs My Brothers Taught Me.
Certainly, Eternals is a big leap for Chloé Zhao, or so it seemed until she became the second woman (and first woman of color) to win Best Director at the 2021 Academy Awards for Nomadland, which would also take home the top prize that night. It is also worth noting that Eternals will now be the third Marvel film directed by a female filmmaker, following 2019’s Captain Marvel and the upcoming Black Widow. That is certainly an exciting development, and it's hopefully a sign of what's to come with regards to a diversity of filmmakers directing these movies.
Ryan And Matthew K. Firpo Wrote Eternals
In May of 2018, it was revealed that cousins Ryan and Matthew "Kaz" Firpo were in talks to write the screenplay for Eternals. The related writers have only previously had their short film screenplays brought to life, which makes the prospect of them jumping on board to write this major motion picture all the more exciting. Although, it should be noted that their script for the war thriller Ruin would acquire a great deal of interest — most notably because Margot Robbie and Matthias Schoenaerts are currently attached to star with Assassin’s Creed helmer Justin Kurzel on board to direct.
Marvel’s Hype Video Gave Fans A First Look At Eternals
It is no secret that 2020 was a hard year for the theater industry and for cinephiles who consider the big screen a second home. Marvel Studios proved that the feeling has been mutual by releasing a Hype Video to encourage fans to have a safe, exciting return to traditional moviegoing which also included a sneak peek at Eternals and other upcoming Marvel flicks. While the combined two clips of footage only lasted mere seconds, viewers took note at how badass Angelina Jolie looks as Thena.
There are still a lot of details left unknown about Eternals at this time, which looks like it could be one of the best Marvel movies yet, such as when we will see the first trailer. But with the release date fast approaching (even if it's still over a year away), we should expect to see and hear more about this film and these characters in the months to come.
