The X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel Studios has no small task ahead of them in making sure that the iconic team can lead the franchise in Phase 7 and beyond. Marvel Studios is also sure to make every effort to separate their adaptation of the team(s) from what came before. To celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, we’ve decided to put together a list of which characters might play a key role and how Marvel Studios can ensure nobody will confuse them with their Fox counterparts.
Kurt Wagner made his way into both of Fox’s X-Men trilogies and, surprisingly enough, was not characterized nearly as poorly as many of his teammates. In fact, both Alan Cumming and Kodi Smit-McPhee brought the requisite pathos to their performances to make the character memorable despite not really playing a major role. Fox did a nice job with the look of both versions and found clever ways to showcase his trademark BAMFing. However, one of the greatest shortcomings with Fox’s X-Men films was responsible for inadvertently giving Nightcrawler short shrift.
Though the character was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum for 1975’s Giant-Size X-Men #1, the personality of Nightcrawler that comic book fans know and love was, by and large, the creation of legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremont. In a 2019 interview with SYFY, Claremont described Nightcrawler’s core characteristics and inadvertently (or perhaps deliberately) captured the problem with Fox’s character.
The thing with Kurt is, in his heart of hearts, he wants to be Errol Flynn, he wants to be a swashbuckler, he wants to kick the living daylights out of bad guys with a sword. Actually with three swords, using his tail as well. And he wants to be a romantic lead, and he wants to save the day, and he wants to be friends with everyone.
Chris Claremont
While Fox’s X-Men films were certainly quite full of teams of X-Men, they never really felt like teams. Short of some cool scenes where the X-Men teamed up to use their powers together in some neat sequences, the writing often made the X-Men feel like a collection of individuals rather than the close-knit surrogate family they often were in the comics. For lack of a better counter-example, Fox’s X-Men never had the same family feel as James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy. No character suffered more from this than Nightcrawler who, as Claremont said, wants to be friends with everyone.
Claremont, of course, is right. Comic book Kurt is a friend and sounding board to so many of his teammates it’s hard to pinpoint just which one he means the most to. Wolverine? Storm? Colossus? Kitty? While there’s no argument that he is Wolverine’s best friend an easy argument could be made that he means just as much to the others it’s only that Wolverine’s otherwise loner status makes his relationship with Kurt seem more important. As Marvel Studios begins to outline what’s sure to be an X-Men universe within a universe, establishing a greater sense of family within the teams of X-Men should be a priority allowing for a truer portrayal of Nightcrawler’s greatest power: his love for his friends.
Operating under the assumption that Chastain is joining the MCU in a major, recurring, villainous role, we’re shooting the most ridiculous shot first and the logic isn’t as crazy as it may seem. If New World Order really does introduce Adamantium to the MCU, it’s likely to restart the Weapons Plus program (did it ever really stop?) and Nathaniel Essex has some pretty interesting ties to the program in the comics. Essentially immortal thanks to his work with cloning, Essex has been around since the mid-1800s and has always been interested in the study of genetics. It was the discovery of his abandoned labs during World War II that lead to the creation of the Weapons Plus Program and, over the years, Essex revisited the different iterations of the program in disguise. Sinister’s endless array of clone bodies means that he’s appeared as a woman more than once over the years under aliases such as Claudine Renko and Kate Kildare. A stretch and a longshot for sure, but with the mutant genome now present in the MCU it does seem like it’s only a matter of time before one of Marvel’s most fabulous villains enters the picture.
Karla Sofen/Moonstone
Another major, recurring villain and one that’s a little more probable for Chastain is Dr. Karla Sofen. While most fans would associate her with Captain Marvel, the character first appeared in Captain America #192. Though she later developed superpowers through exposure to the Kree Moonstone, Sofen’s psychiatric manipulation of her patients makes her dangerous and an interesting option for Chastain. Thaddeus Ross’s emergence as a villain in Captain America: New World Order is an interesting proposition because while he’s a major pain in the ass and a frustrating antagonist, he’s hardly been portrayed as an outright villain in the MCU. Interestingly enough, he and Dr. Sofen have a bit of a comic book history that includes her hypnotizing Ross. Having Ross manipulated by Sofen while Sterns orchestrates things behind the scenes seems a relatively believable scenario for Ross’s perceived villainy. Additionally, joining the MCU as Dr. Sofen for Cap 4 would also allow Chastain’s role to evolve over time. It’s not like everyone on the original Thunderbolts team is going to live forever and Moonstone would give Carol Danvers a powerful, Earth-bound foe down the road.
Rachel Leighton/Diamondback
A classic Captain America character who always had a complicated relationship with Steve Rogers, Rachel Leighton would make for an interesting double-agent type of character for Chastain to play in Captain America: New World Order. Leighton’s a sexy, seductive merc whose mission to Tiamut could have her crossing paths with Sam Wilson for whom she could cause all sorts of problems. Like Wilson, Leighton possesses no superpowers but is a highly-skilled fighter which would put Chastain in familiar territory given her work on the action thriller Ava. In the comics, she and Steve Rogers did a lot of flirting before ending up in a romantic relationship that jeopardized them both, something that could work well with Sam has he steps into a larger role as a leader.
Madame Viper
Hydra is never really gone and if they are to reemerge, it should be in a Captain America project. One of Marvel Comics most complex and fascinating female villains, taking on the role of Viper would allow Chastain to showcase her considerable range and become part of the MCU for multiple projects. Everything about Viper screams that she’s exactly the type of character to emerge from the shadows in a project subtitled New World Order. If Adamantium is truly at the center of the plot, Hydra would absolutely be involved in any efforts to take possession of it. Viper’s presence in the film could be a little nod to SecretEmpire, one of Marvel’s most controversial comic events, and Viper/Hydra has to be a top choice for the individual/organization that takes control of Tiamut by the end of the film. While rumors have Tiamut being referred to as the island of Genosha by the time Thunderbolts rolls around, remember that Hydra has its own island as well and it resides near enough to Indian Ocean in the comics that the little change wouldn’t really matter. Hail Hydra!
Monica Rappaccini
Like Hydra, A.I.M. would certainly come back out of the shadows in order to get their hands on Adamantium and they have their own history of owning a cool, bad-guy island. A.I.M. has played no real role in the MCU since Aldrich Killian ate shit in Iron Man 2, but they are far too important of an organization in the comics to disappear forever. Under new leadership from their Scientist Supreme, Monica Rappaccini, an organization such as A.I.M. would undoubtedly want to investigate the corpse of a Celestial. What could they do with their findings? Build a Super-Adaptoid, of course.
Dr. Diedre Wentworth/Superia
Similar to Monica Rappaccinni and Viper, Diedre Wentworth would be in it to get control of Tiamut and the Adamantium, however, her goal might be a touch different: Superia would use Adamantium to lead her army of Femizons to subjugate the men of the world to her rule. The Femizon leader’s misandry would put her at odds with a self-imagined alpha male like Thaddeus Ross and allow Sam to really stretch his empathic wings. Superia is another classic Cap villain who could end up causing more problems down the line.
Dr. Valerie Cooper
While not traditionally a villain, Cooper makes sense as a potential role for Chastain because of her ties to the United States government. Ross is rumored to be the President of the United States by the time Captain America: New World Order rolls around and, in the comics, Dr. Cooper worked for the NSA where her specialty was mutants. Dr. Cooper was concerned that the continuing emergence of powered mutants caused a national security threat to the United States and believed a new “arms race” was at hand. Given the Israeli mutant known as Sabra will be played in the film by Shira Haas, New World Order could be the starting point of the MCU version of the “mutant arms race” and Cooper could be working on putting together the U.S.’s own government-sanctioned mutant super team, the kind of thing a Sokovia Accords’ champion like Ross would get behind. Cooper worked on a device that would allow her to detect mutant powers, was a key member of the Commission on Superhuman Activities that claimed the title of “Captain America” belonged to the U.S. government and “fired” Steve Rogers from the job. With Sam just picking up the mantle of Captain America, having the U.S. government claim the title and fire him from the job would certainly be a rude welcome. Cooper also went on to head the Office of National Emergency (O*N*E*) which essentially served as a mutant oversight and management office. Again, while Cooper has never been a true villain, she could serve as a worthy antagonist to Sam and his allies.
If we were betting, we’d take the field over Chastain ending up playing any one of these seven characters, but they all certainly present interesting possibilities for the Oscar winner.
Captain America: New World Order has made more than its fair share of news lately as rumors of its plot have gotten fans excited about the possibilities for the 2024 film. The plot is heavily rumored to involve the discovery of Adamantium on the corpse of Tiamut, the Celestial who had been growing inside Earth and was killed in Eternals. If that’s the case, Sam Wilson’s first theatrical outing as Captain America is shaping up to be a wild ride as it will see Sam and a group of heroes foil some sort of villainous plot to obtain the Adamantium hatched by Harrison Ford‘s Thaddeus Ross, Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ CIA Director Valentina Allegre de Fontain and Tim Blake Nelson‘s Leader. Now, a spicy new rumor sure to be a YouTube pundit pleaser has another villain joining the fray and Marvel Studios has an Oscar-winning actress in mind for the role.
Twitter user MyTimeToShineHello claims that Jessica Chastain, who as you all remember well played the memorable villain Vuk in Simon Kinberg‘s magnum opus, Dark Phoenix, is Marvel Studios’ choice for the “main villain” of Captain America: New World Order.
Jessica Chastain is being eyed to play the main villain in Captain America: New World Order.
This is a spicy rumor, to be sure, given that whatever character Marvel Studios allegedly wants Chastain to portray is now the third character that’s been described as the main villain of the film. If the film’s plot does indeed revolve around the discovery of Adamantium on Tiamut’s body, which resides in the Indian Ocean, the rumor that the film would have multiple heroes and villains does make sense, however, as it would stand to reason that governments around the world would want to get their hands on the precious metal for their own ends. Given Chastain’s prominence and the number of juicy roles she could be up for, this rumor is one worth keeping an eye on as production on Captain America: New World Order draws nearer.
It has been more than a year since Marvel Studiosreleased Eternals, a blockbuster film that has been met with a multitude of reactions from audiences and critics alike. As we commemorate the first anniversary of its release, it is fitting to reflect on the film’s production, its place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the creative process of its director, Chloé Zhao.
Upon its initial release, Eternals garnered 400 million dollars in revenue, cementing its success as a new franchise within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, its future within the franchise remains uncertain due to its more mature tone and lack of humorous elements, which diverge from the usual “aesthetic” of Marvel films.
Despite its financial success, the release of Eternals was not without its challenges. The film faced significant censorship in Chinese markets and faced a boycott campaign in the United States by conservative political parties due to its premise of diversity and representation. This irony is not lost on Zhao, who aimed to create a film that truly represents the diverse world we live in, a world where people of all backgrounds and experiences coexist and shape our society. In doing so, Zhao also sought to bring together a cast that represents those who are often seen as misfits, outcasts, and underdogs in mainstream media, showcasing their strength, resilience, and inherent worth. The ultimate goal was to give the audience a sense of connection to these characters, to see them not as representatives of their ethnicity or nationality, but as a loving family.
On the technical side, the flick is a masterclass in visual storytelling and technical proficiency. From the very beginning of the film, Zhao’s unique visual style is evident, as she uses a variety of techniques to draw the viewer into the world of the film.
One of the most notable aspects of Zhao’s direction is her incorporation of elements of classical cinema into the film. She frequently employs long takes and elaborate camera movements, reminiscent of the work of directors likeStanley Kubrick, to heighten the emotional impact of key moments in the film. Additionally, she incorporates elements of classical Hollywood glamour, such as glamorous costume design and sweeping, epic score, to add a sense of grandeur and timelessness to the film. These nods to the golden age of cinema lend Eternals a sense of timelessness and classicism, and further reinforce the themes of legacy and eternity that are central to the film’s narrative.
Eternals (2021)2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Eternals has the potential to be more than just a typical superhero film and offer a deeper and more complex viewing experience. One possibility for showcasing Eternals within the MCU could be to present it as an anthology series, separate from the main MCU story, which would allow for a more in-depth exploration of the characters and world without being restricted by the overall continuity. The final decision on how to present Eternals in the MCU will depend on the filmmakers and the studio, but it is definitely an exciting possibility worth considering.
Marvel Studios’ Eternals is suddenly back in the conversation, and its possible resurgence could open quite a few doors for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A new rumor making the rounds online has the film’s third act impacting several future MCU projects, with 2024’s Thunderbolts at the center of it all. Industry insider Daniel RPK reports that the reformed supervillain team will gather for a trip to Tiamut, the massive Celestial that froze solid in the middle of the ocean at the end of Eternals, which has since become a full-blown island. According to RPK, there’s a chance Tiamut has become a natural supplier of a valuable new resource, Adamantium, which the team and several other parties have grown an interest in. How this could potentially play out is still a mystery, but if true, it might indicate the surprise return of a major Eternals character – Ikaris.
Ikaris, portrayed by Richard Madden in his first cinematic appearance, was last seen flying directly into the sun after betraying his fellow Eternals in the name of Arishem and the Emergence. It was assumed this act of self-punishment resulted in Ikaris’ death, but as Eternals so distinctly showcased, this does not exactly spell the ultimate end of an Eternal. Created by Celestials, the Eternals are built to last, and come with a near-endless amount of backup bodies should their current form be destroyed. It’s not a stretch to imagine Ikaris will make a comeback at some point in the MCU’s next phase, even if it’s not the exact version of the cosmic warrior fans previously saw perish. In fact, if Ikaris’ body was completely melted by the intensity of Earth’s sun, it would stand to reason Arishem and the Celestials would feel there’s enough at stake to send out another Ikaris with a new mind and a new mission. Return to Earth, and protect what’s left of Tiamut.
The Celestials, or at least Arishem, are now keeping a keen eye on Earth and its people. If Tiamut is actually an unexpected means of the MCU gaining Adamantium, the Celestials could view that as an undue advancement of humanity and send Ikaris to prevent the massive changes that might come with societies claiming the alien metal as their own. Whether or not this could make Ikaris the “evil Superman” figure rumored to act as the secret villain of Thunderboltsis, of course, still unknown. Other reports have made claims for the Sentry fitting that role, starting as part of the Thunderbolts roster sent after Tiamut’s Adamantium before losing his mind and becoming the main threat of the film. Perhaps both Sentry and Ikaris will appear in the movie, becoming rivals throughout the story. After all, if Sentry is a major antagonist in the project, the Thunderbolts will need a little extra help from someone a little more powerful if they have any hope of emerging victorious.
Aside from the undeniable “cool factor” of pitting two God-like superbeings against each other, the inclusion of Ikaris in Thunderbolts could also be a very smart “big picture” move on Marvel Studios’ part. If Eternals 2 is indeed coming, and it’s truly based on the recent Judgement Day comics written by Kieron Gillen, then Ikaris’ potential role in Thunderbolts would become a very useful throughline between the Eternals and the wider MCU. Judgement Day features a conflict between the Eternals, the Avengers, and the X-Men, over new discoveries in the Eternals’ purpose and the mutants’ gene code. If Tiamut is actually destined to transform into Genosha and play a role in the impending mutant side of the MCU, having a version of Ikaris aware of the way it affects the planet would act as an excellent prelude to an Eternals: Judgement Day film. Maybe, if Marvel Studios really wanted to get crazy, they could even have Ikaris’ meddling on “Genosha” factor into the island’s mutant evolution. It’s important to remember these are all just rumors at the moment. However, the events of Eternals and the franchise’s future playing such a vital role in the MCU would be a wonderfully unexpected way to resolve the Eternals’ arc and push the greater universe forward in a creative manner.
2021’s Eternals was a divisive film. With an Academy Award-winning director at the helm, it boasted an all-star cast while exploring themes of humanity, spirituality, and sacrifice. It also used Z-list Marvel characters that very few audience members had a connection to, and the course of the movie’s runtime proved inadequate to develop that connection with any of them. Add in a very underdeveloped primary antagonist, and the result is an extremely low consensus as to its quality, with a Rotten Tomatoes score that reflects that.
But one recurring comment in discussions about the film’s scope was that the story might better have been served by a series instead of a film. And considering that the film stretches from 5000 BCE to the present, there’s a lot of jumping around in the timeline that makes it harder for a viewer to find proper grounding. That being said, Chloé Zhao had a vision, and it’s doubtful that she would have signed on to do the project, nor would have had the ability to attract the wide range of global stars for it, if it was “just” a show.
But as we reach the cusp of 2023, things have changed quite a bit. A new rumor suggests that Zhao is not expected to return for the Eternals sequel, and the progression of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga has shifted the focus to its Big Bad, Kang. Whatever our interest in the ongoing exploits of our synthetic lifeforms cosplaying as deities while being the harbingers of worldwide cataclysm, they have surely been diminished, Harry Styles notwithstanding. That isn’t to say that these exploits aren’t worth getting into, though. There’s rich storytelling ground and fantastic actors who deserve the opportunity to be showcased. That’s why Eternals should return as a “prestige” series, telling the stories of individual Eternals in an anthology format.
There are a number of reasons that this is preferable to greenlighting a sequel, shepherding it through the development and production process, and trying to promote it against the backdrop of much more high-profile and anticipated projects featuring more beloved characters. Because of the narrative around the first film, getting people out for the sequel is going to be an even tougher sell. Even though the next director they might choose brings a certain amount of differentiation, it’s hard to do better than the previous year’s Best Director. And the cast was already top-notch. What possible new actor could enter the mix and move the needle?
But for a streaming show, you’re not getting people to load up the family and settle in for two or three hours in the cinema. You’re asking them to boot up Disney Plus at their leisure and watch something poignant, thought-provoking, and moving. We just recently saw that with Andor, Star Wars was able to reset the narrative around that franchise because of the elevated quality of the storytelling and filmmaking of Tony Gilroy, even with lower-than-average streaming numbers. The calculus was that if you make something truly great, people will find it eventually, even if it isn’t fully steeped in the zeitgeist.
The Eternals, by their very nature, have stood apart from the MCU meta-narrative until now. And with 7000 years to explore for each character, each Eternal should easily be able to command his or her own standalone narrative, shaped around a different director’s vision, and showcasing that character in more depth. And for each cast member, instead of having to find the time in their busy schedules for a full movie shoot, they can carve out their availability in tandem with the production, unconstrained by the continuity of one main story.
Just think of the different styles that could be displayed, and the levels of experimentation that would allow them to deviate from the oft-derided “Marvel House Style.” Shooting one episode could be a way to get daring filmmakers like The Daniels in the door without holding them to the parameters of traditional MCU guardrails. And the endpoint of this experimentation would be the differentiation of each Eternal to a greater degree, and a bigger investment in those characters in the future, regardless of whether they appear together or apart.
As much as we love Marvel, it’s really hard for them to make prestige television that still feels like it fits within the same universe as the films — especially when, for the most part, connectivity is a draw. But in the case of Eternals, they already leaned into the idea of these characters’ limited connections. So stories told in that space can just concentrate on being as interesting and powerful as possible. And Marvel should be able to attract interesting and powerful storytellers and filmmakers as they deepen and add more texture to the world of the Eternals. And that, in many ways, would do a lot more for the Eternals brand than any sequel film could.
Marvel Studios is developing a Nova project, of this we can be sure. Originally thought to be a steaming series written by Moon Knight’sSabir Pirzada, online chatter of it being developed as a Special Presentation in the mold of Werewolf ByNight and The Guardians of the GalaxyHoliday Special emerged a few months ago. To make sure all the bases are covered, a new rumor has the project now being developed as a feature film.
According to MyTimeToShine, Marvel Studios is keen on bringing the adventures of the Human Rocket to the big screen.
Nova is gonna be a movie not a series or a special
The X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel Studios has no small task ahead of them in making sure that the iconic team can lead the franchise in Phase 7 and beyond. Marvel Studios is also sure to make every effort to separate their adaptation of the team(s) from what came before. To celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, we’ve decided to put together a list of which characters might play a key role and how Marvel Studios can ensure nobody will confuse them with their Fox counterparts.
The Mistress of Magnetism
As is the case with a lot of female characters written in the 60s, 70s and 80s, there are some parts of Lorna Dane’s comic book history that would be better off left in those pages and left out of any adaptation of the character into the MCU; however, Fox made a poor decision by leaving Lorna out of their live-action films entirely. Though not one of the original five members of the X-Men, Lorna was brought on board in the first wave of recruits beyond the five giving her a longer history with the team than Wolverine, Storm, Rogue and Kitty Pryde. Fox may have stayed away from Lorna because of the identity of her father: Magneto. That’s a mistake Marvel Studios should actively seek not to replicate.
While Scott Summers and Jean Grey are the foremost mutant power couple, Alex Summers and Lorna Dane aren’t far behind. Focusing on Alex and Lorna, both individually and as a couple, allows Marvel Studios to explore all sorts of fascinating parallels and differences between them and their more famous family members. Though she’s the daughter of a terrorist and one of Marvel’s most compelling and complex villains, Lorna grew up free of his influence (indeed she didn’t know he was her father until later in life) and is one of the X-Men’s great leaders and heroes.
Lorna and Alex are to X-Factor and Jean and Scott are to the X-Men and Marvel Studios will almost certainly allow multiple mutant teams to exist simultaneously within the MCU. Beyond X-Factor, however, Lorna played a major role on the mutant paradise of Genosha, the House of M and one other part of the X-Men mythology that Fox completely ignored: Shi’ar space! Along with Havok, Lorna had a major arc in The Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire and War of Kings as a new recruit of the Starjammers, led by the father of Scott and Alex Summers and involving the third Summers brother, Gabriel.
Given the scope of Lorna’s history in the comics and the fact that Fox left her sidelined, she seems as good a bet as any to not only join the ranks of the mutants in the MCU, but become a leader and key player as they expand beyond Earth-bound stories. Of course, there’s also plenty to explore with her parentage and plenty of built-in drama once she learns who her father is. Come to think of it, Marvel Studios could probably get a lot of mileage out of the children of Magneto and Xavier, mileage that Fox chose to ignore entirely.
There were so many things we enjoyed about Eternals, but it is safe to say that it ended up being one of Marvel’s most divisive films. It had the unenviable tasks of building the world Post-Endgame, retconning heroes into key events of said world, and explaining their absence during an all-hands-on-deck situation versus Thanos. As it turns out, it also had to set the tone for the conflict ahead in Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts (if some of what we’ve heard is to be believed). Now, with a new rumor suggesting that Chloé Zhao will not return to helm an Eternals sequel, we thought it made sense to look at five directors who could take over for her and deliver on the things that worked in the original while not repeating the things that didn’t.
Brad Bird
The director of Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol and The Incredibles tops this list because of his experience with big ensembles, ability to craft action sequences and the talent to juggle the absurd with the serious when it comes to plots.
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Everything Everywhere All At Once is, without question, one of the best films of 2022, and its directors deserve the opportunity to helm a big-budget adventure like Eternals 2. They, also, nailed the time-travel/Multiversal ideas of that film, which will come in handy as they navigate an Eternals sequel that could tap into those themes. Keep in mind that Marvel Studios already wanted them to direct Loki, so it’s not like Kevin Feige and Co. don’t know who they are.
Steven Spielberg
Kevin Feige got his white whale when Harrison Ford agreed to take over as Thaddeus Ross following the death of William Hurt. Could he go big game hunting for the Eternals sequel? It’s definitely possible, but this isn’t the only reason Feige has to make the call. Spielberg’s ability to craft nuanced stories around dysfunctional family-like units would lend itself well to a group that is trying to find their kidnapped family members. There is, also, something kismet about Feige snagging the director of Close Encounters of the Third Kind after he basically shat all over superhero movies.
Deborah Chow
Fresh off delivering the incredible Obi-Wan Kenobi series for Disney+, there’s something poetic about a Chinese female director being replaced by another Chinese female director just as Marvel Studios talks about continuing to diversify their director suite. Chow crafted something fresh for Obi-Wan, and she was able to find a way to make people care about a character who we had seen so much of already. She respected the lore of Star Wars, all while really expanding the universe in very intriguing ways. Given the role that we believe Eternals will play in the MCU going forward, Chow could do the same for this part of the world.
Travis Knight
The man responsible for giving us an actual Transformers movie and not whatever Michael Bay gave us, Travis Knight showed that he could juggle emotional beats and serious action in one film. However, it’s his work on Kubo and The Two Strings that make us excited about him potentially directing this. That movie brought some beautiful visuals to a really heartwarming story, and while you don’t want the next director to replicate everything Zhao did, you must admit that it was a stunning movie. Knight could do 70% of that while improving the action significantly.
Of course, at the moment there’s no indication that Eternals 2 is in the works or that Zhao wouldn’t be on board if it were. In that case, this could also just be a nice list of directors who we’d like to see working with Marvel Studios at some point down the road.
Eternals was neither the critical nor financial success Marvel Studios hoped for when they began developing the project several years ago but it has begun to grow on audiences after making its way to Disney Plus and other streaming services. The events of the film’s big finale, which were briefly referenced in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, are rumored to set the stage for a pair of 2024 films in Captain America: New WorldOrder and Thunderbolts as the Celestial Tiamut will become the focal point of a global conflict when the rare and valuable Adamantium is discovered on his corpse. Now, amid all the attention on the film, comes a coincidentally timed rumor about a potential sequel.
MyTimeToShineHello recently took to Twitter to share both a potential comic book influence for the film and to point out that director Chloe Zhao is currently not attached to the project and may not end up helming it at all.
Eternals 2 will be Judgment Day and be more cosmic. Chloé Zhao is not attached and there's a chance she will not return to do the sequel
The claim that the sequel will “be Judgment Day” is a reference to the recent Marvel Comics event series of the same name that saw the X-Men, Eternals and Avengers square off against each other and the Celestials to hold off the destruction of Earth. An adaptation of the event would fall neatly in line with the Prime Celestial Arishem the Judge’s final words in Eternals and could serve as way to tie the characters from the film into the larger MCU. Of course, the studio has absolutely no interest in a straight page-to-screen adaptation but Eternals: Judgment Day does have a nice ring to it.
Marvel Studios has given no indication that a sequel to the film is officially in the works nor that Zhao wouldn’t be attached to direct. Until that time comes, rumors are all well and good for generating speculation and discussion but given the full slate of films and the studio’s well-documented history of ever-evolving ideas, this one may never come to fruition at all much less as described in this rumor.
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Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Pinterest Tag is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.
