It may be hard to believe, but it’s already been over a year since Eternals hit theaters and the Marvel Cinematic Universe was introduced to a new group of cosmic beings. While it initially seemed like big things were coming following the events of the movie, especially after that surprise Harry Styles cameo, not much information has been released in regards to a sequel. Now director Chloé Zhao is getting real about the Eternals' future.
While Eternals opened strong in the box office when it released in 2021, it was met with mixed reviews, and given how things usually go with Marvel movies, by now, we would have heard at least something about a potential sequel. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Rumors have been swirling for quite some time now about another movie, and in late 2022, fans were convinced Eternals 2 was happening when Big Punch Entertainment shared that Gilgamesh actor Don Lee had the sequel lined up. Going straight to a direct source, however, director Chloé Zhao told The Hollywood Reporter the following on where things stand with her involvement in Eternals 2:
No comment. When you're in Marvel and when you're dealing with an audience that big, I truly treasure and respect that each of us is so unique. It's exciting that we're all so different, and we're all changing and growing every day. But with a global audience, it's almost impossible to make everybody perfectly happy, and to do that is to say that everyone is the same. So I think there's inevitably going to be that [difference of opinion], and you just have to stay true to the kind of film you want to make and who you are and the people you're collaborating with. That's all you can do, really, and have a good time. Everything else is out of your control.
With the way Eternals ended, the movie was definitely setting up for a sequel, so it’s a disappointment to know that nothing is concrete yet. It seems as though there have been some talks about the sequel, it's just a matter of what to include and what the creative process would be like. As of now, though, it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting Eternals 2, at least not anytime soon.
Following Eternals’ release, Zhao responded to the movie’s low Rotten Tomato scores simply by welcoming fans to join the debate by streaming it with their Disney+ subscription. Kumail Nanjiani, who plays Kingo, also previously defended the MCU movie and praised Zhao. So even though the film could have done better, review-wise, there are definitely people still interested, and I wouldn’t mind seeing what happened after the halted Emergence.
It should be pointed out that very recently, Marvel star Patton Oswalt retracted his Eternals 2 statement, as he initially said that the movie was going to happen. He later admitted to being “catfished by the internet,” and he would be the last to know if there was a sequel. His brief stint as Pip, the Troll in the Eternals end-credit scene could have set up something more, and even if it’s not in an Eternals sequel, it very well could be in another MCU movie or TV show. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Even though we won’t be getting Eternals 2 in the near future, upcoming Marvel movies are looking awfully great. Fingers crossed we at least get some of the Eternals to show up in other films, but if not, hopefully confirmed news about a sequel are shared soon.
