There’s been a lot of debate surrounding the latest release of Marvel Studios. Eternals seemed to have garnered quite a bit of negative attention by critics, as its rating continued to go down becoming the first MCU project with a rotten rating. With 265 critic reviews, it currently stands at 49% with 265 reviews. Yet, now that the film has opened to the public, it has currently shown a much stronger approval rating by fans with 1,000+ verified ratings giving it a 86%.
It’s quite clear that critics and audiences are not agreeing on Eternals reception. Change is always something that may receive different kinds of reactions, especially with Marvel Studios taking a different approach with their latest film. Director Chloé Zhao left her stamp on the MCU that jelled with audiences in a way that left them with something fresh but still familiar.
It’s not uncommon for films to simply not get the same reception from critics as they did from audiences. One could argue that expectations might play a key role in what a film is or isn’t for the respective viewer. We all go in with our biases and hopes which leaves a different imprint. Sometimes a project that is critically panned is beloved by viewers because it just offers what they are interested in.
Eternals’ release is finally here. The trailers for thefilm suggest it will reveal some secrets of human history. Similarly, people who worked on the film are now allowed to reveal some parts of the process of how the film came together. In this instance Eternals writers, Kaz and Ryan Firpo have spoken about how the Marvel Studios Visual Development team helped them in their writing process for the film.
Speaking to Deadline’s Hero Nation Podcast, Kaz Firpo, described one of Marvel Studios’ writing rooms. The description giving plays on the many memes of the studio’s secrecy, as only certain members of the crew had access to and didn’t even include windows to make sure nothing leaks.
Eternals was written in the Black Widow conference room. It has no windows there’s a door with a lock and only six people have access like Kevin Feige, Nate Moore, Chloe and then like the writers, you know, like we’re the ones that go into that room. It’s a private secret, hermetically sealed chamber.
Kaz Firpo
Beyond this, he describes a writing-artistic collaborative process with Ryan Meinerding, VP and Creative Director of Visual Development at Marvel Studios, and how it influenced their work by bringing their pitches and ideas to life.
You walk into your room and the walls are covered. It’s incredible, Ryan Meinerding, I do have to shout him out the Head of Visual Development at Marvel. He’s reading pages [of the drafts] and going ‘ooh, this is cool’ and then literally drawing the ideas that we’re having on a weekly basis. So you’ll come in and they’ll just be like a new artwork on the wall from something we’re just talking about a few days ago, so that’s it that really just inspires you to keep going and digging even deeper, they’re iterating.
Kaz Firpo
Having potential moments from a draft drawn up into key art soon after it’s been discussed sounds like a fantastic way to further inspire writers. The collaboration is indicative of the innovative processes they have set up at Marvel Studios across their different departments and collaborators. It’s exciting to think as the studio keeps pushing forward the narratives of the cinematic universe, that they’re also continuing to experiment with working processes to better help their creative teams.
To a generation, Andrew Garfield IS Peter Parker. And in an interview with The Guardian, the actor describes how his time as Spider-Man served as his own coming of age story.
Garfield played Peter Parker/Spider-Man over the course of two films in 2012 and 2014. The actor became beloved for his portrayal of the character in The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but according to him the experience opened his eyes to the nature of the money making machine that is Hollywood.
“I went from being a naive boy to growing up,” said Garfield. “There are millions of dollars at stake and that’s what guides the ship. It was a big awakening and it hurt.” The pain, according to Garfield, came from the realization that the studio wasn’t interested in the soul of the character and the fans that love him, but their bottom line:
Comic-Con in San Diego is full of grown men and women still in touch with that pure thing the character meant to them…you add in market forces and test groups and suddenly the focus is less on the soul of it and more on ensuring we make as much money as possible. And I found that – find that – heartbreaking in all matters of the culture. Money is the thing that has corrupted all of us and led to the terrible ecological collapse that we are all about to die under.
In the years since, Garfield has stayed away from major studio tentpole films though his return as the Web-slinger is this December’s Spider-Man: No Way Home is all but confirmed. Hopefully someone will check in with him again following that film to see what brought him back to the role after having such a negative experience the first time around.
The following article will spoil Eternals film’s first post-credit sequence. Only continue at your own risk.
After the events of Eternals unfold, we witnessed a small group of our new heroes going out on a voyage to find others of their kind. Suddenly, they are welcomed by the voice of Patton Oswald, who turns out to be Pip the Troll. Not just that, he is also the messenger for another Eternal, Eros. Not only do we get the confirmation that the MCU’s version of Starfox will be the brother of Thanos, but he also is played by Harry Styles. Well, it turns out Chloé Zhao had her eyes on the actor for quite some time.
Harry as Eros was very much a package deal for me. I pitched the idea of Pip the Troll and Eros to Kevin awhile back and I love the idea of exploring an Eternal who is beyond Titan and who may have influenced Thanos throughout the years the same way Eternals influenced us, earthlings. And then, it wasn’t like I suggested Eros, and let’s go find actors.
Chloé Zhaoeternals harry style
Zhao highlighted that he caught her attention after the release of Dunkirk and she was quite happy how perfectly he matched the character of Starfox when they met up to talk about the potential role.
I kept tabs on Harry since Dunkirk, I thought he was very interesting. After meeting him I realized he is that character—the same way I cast the rest of my cast. There’s so much of Eros in him. For me, if he says yes and Kevin says yes then it’s a go. And I’m very happy they both did.
Chloé Zhao
It’s quite interesting that she pitched these characters to Kevin Feige some time ago. In a way, it hints that she also had some clear plans for the characters beyond their brief introduction at the tail end of this film. In a way, she does imply that she might already have plans for a sequel that builds upon the events from this film and its first post-credit sequence. We’ll see if we get a sequel announcement sometime soon, especially as its opening seems quite promising so far.
Eternals has finally arrived and offers a new look at the cosmic side of the Marvel Studios universe. What originally got kicked off with the Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy films has continued to expand. Yet, we’re about to enter a very different type of cosmos, as we get introduced to the Eternals and the Celestials. As we explore the birth of the universe, we might only begin our exploration of what else is out there. Luckily, one of the film’s writers Kaz Firbo confirmed that this is just the beginning of our adventures into the cosmos.
Eternals is really launching us off into the atmosphere, into the cosmos, Guardians touched on it, Thor touched on it, but there’s how many planets? How many stories? There’s so many places and planets we can do, see and explore.
Kaz Firbo
It’s a curious tease, as we’ve technically already visited quite a few planets throughout the first few phases of the MCU. Also, it opens up the question if there are plans to expand Eternals into a franchise. Producer Nate Moore mentioned that there’s no guarantee we’ll see any sequels. Yet, Firbo was quite optimistic about returning to write a follow-up.
We hope people really love this movie, and they go see this movie so that we can go and start writing the sequel. There’s a big door, you know, and I think the question is, does the audience want to step through it? I think that’s been a big thing.
Kaz Firbo
It certailny sounds like they have some curious plans for the franchise’s future, especially given how deep this adaptation aims to explore a different side of the cosmos. Marvel Studios’ expansion might have just begun in Phase 4 and it looks like we’ll have many different corners to explore throughout the upcoming films and Disney+ series.
It’s not uncommon for characters or plot points to eventually get dropped at some point in development. At the beginning of the month, we learned from director Chloé Zhao that Eternals almost featured twelve main characters. It turns out these characters were Zuras and Elysius, but there was a thirteenth member that was scrapped at some point in development. Writers Kaz and RyanFirbo discussed their work on the film in Deadline’s Hero Nation Podcast. Here, they unveiled that the Eternal Vampiro was included in the script at one point.
We could say like who the other Eternals [that were cut] were? I mean, one of them was Vampiro.
Ryan Firbo
Kaz Firbo also highlighted that he was going to be the luchador version from the comics, who was known by the stage name El Vampiro. He also had a sizeable role as the points out “there were dozens of pages of Vampiro.” Similar to Kingo, he was active during his time on Earth as a professional wrestler before a Deviant disguised as El Toro Rojo. It seems they received a binder with all members of the Eternals they’re allowed to use in the film and offered a little look into how they chose.
There are literally hundreds of Eternals. We were given a binder when we started this process. Ryan and I just sat down and we flicked through the pages, and we picked the ones that we thought could best reflect the world, whose powers were the most interesting and compelling, and that was our journey since the beginning. This is a movie about a family, and we said this is a found family, Ryan likes to say a circus family. We wanted to make sure that all over the world people would see themselves in this movie for sure.
Kaz Firbo
The cast certainly reflected their approach to having everyone represented. It’s already quite the challenge to include the main cast of ten characters throughout the limited time of a film. There’s still a chance he makes a return in a future project. Marvel Studios has also recently cast Cael Garcia Bernal for their upcoming Halloween special. So, they are continuing to expand their diverse cast of characters throughout future projects, and we might see more of Eternals later down the line.
You clicked on an article about a post-credit scene, so proceed at your own risk knowing it will be spoiled.
It’s not just about the post-credit scene. Yes, that post-credit scene, which sees Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman interact with an evil, talking sword before being snapped out of a trance by Mahershala Ali’s Blade, is one of Marvel Studios’ best in recent memory, but it’s not just about that scene. Harrington’s role as Dane Whitman in Eternals turned out to be a lot smaller than most people had originally imagined but it perfectly set up the character for a terrifying future and put Harrington on a path to one of the MCU’s faces over the next decade.
By the time Eternals‘ lengthy runtime expires, Harrington’s Whitman is surrounded in enough mystery to make him one of the more interesting characters to explore down the roads. All the hints are there: his estranged uncle, his “complicated” family history and, of course, the very, very dense post-credit scene all of which leaves a lot to unpack, especially for those unfamiliar with the character’s journey through the pages of Marvel Comics.
While Harrington kindly pretends he doesn’t know what’s next for the character, it’s hard to imagine Kevin Feige and the Parliament do not and Eternals gives fans a pretty clear idea of what to expect in the eventual Black Knight project.
The Funky Uncle
While Facetiming with Dane from the Amazon, Sersi implores him to reach out to his uncle and put whatever it is behind them that’s left their relationship strained. That uncle is Nathan Garrett, a British geneticist and inventor and the ancestor of one of the Knights of the Roundtable, Sir Percy of Scandia. As an ancestor to Sir Percy (the Black Knight of Arthurian legend), Garrett inherited the ancestral Garrett Castle which held within it the Ebony Blade, a magical weapon that carries with it a terrible curse. Garrett was found unworthy of the blade, but found plenty of ways to use his natural gifts to become a villain, even joining the Masters of Evil at one point. Before he died, Garrett, in an effort to make good on his potential and make amends for a life of crime, reached out to his nephew and bequeathed him Garrett Castle and all the remained inside, including his brilliant research and the cursed Ebony Blade.
The Complicated Family Legacy
As mentioned above, Whitman’s uncle is descendant of Sir Percy of Scandia which means so is Whitman. So Whitman is one of a long line of people who have had the cursed Ebony Blade, forged by Merlin himself and gifted to them as a birthright. Percy handed the blade to his nephew, Sir Raston (who was killed by Immortus) and from there it found its way through several owners throughout time, including members of the Knights Templar, before finding its way to Garrett Castle. As complicated as that family legacy may seem, it might be even further complicated in the MCU should they choose to pull a particular thread about some potential familial connections to King Arthur himself. What’s worse is that, as it turns out, it might not be the Ebony Blade that’s truly cursed, but the family itself as it was recently revealed during the King in Black event that the sword simply works with its wielder to reveal an unhealthy set of behaviors common in the line: blood lust, psychosis and extreme violence.
What’s In the Box???
And as you may have guessed, that’s the Ebony Blade in the post credit scene…and Marvel Studios knocked it out of the park. There’s no telling what origin the sword will have in the MCU, but they did their best to let us know it’s a terrifying artifact. As Dane opened the box, which was adorned with the same family crest seen on the ring Sersi gave him in the beginning of the film. the cursed sword began to call to Dane who then reads aloud (and not in modern English) the words “Death is my reward.” If that wasn’t creepy enough, as Dane reaches towards the blade, its surface reacts to what you have to believe is his DNA and behaves similarly to iron filings drawn towards a magnet. What plans Whitman has for the sword or vice versa will have to wait, however, as Blade interrupted their union. Choosing Blade as the interloper here is incredibly interesting as the time the two have shared together in the comics is minimal, but it does seem to indicate that the supernatural aspect of the sword will be something of interest later on.
What’s Next?
Whitman’s Black Knight has been an Avenger. He’s been a part of Excalibur. He’s been a member of MI-13. He’s traveled throughout time. He’s fought Skrulls. He’s found himself on Weirdworld. With Harrington on board in the role, it’s reasonable to assume that not only will we see a Black Knight solo project in the not too distant future, but we’ll also likely see a lot of the young hero in other projects over the next decade or so. He’s a character with a rich enough comic book past to connect more of the MCU’s unexplored history (and could especially help unlock the enormous and greatly unexplored potential of the magic, myth and legends of Britain) while also helping shape its future. For Harrington, it’s not just another guy with a sword. Harrington has said on multiple occasions over the past several weeks that he’s drawn to the darker side of this character. Let’s hope Marvel Studios minimizes the changes and maximizes the potential of a character with an already fascinating and established story.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 is set to begin principal photography. The cast and crew of James Gunn’s space outlaws are currently making their last preparations for productions. With Will Poulter having recently joined the cast as Adam Warlock, there are lots of questions about how he is going to be involved beyond emerging from the cocoon we saw in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 post-credit scene. Poulter was on The Jonathan Ross Show promoting his upcoming Hulu miniseries Dopesick, where host and Marvel fan, Jonathan Ross, was on hand to field a variety of questions about Poulter’s MCU character.
The actor was typically evasive as most are as part of their MCU contracts, he jokingly stated that that he is “feared for the safety of his family” because he’s “sworn to secrecy.” After confirming Marvel Studios and James Gunn won’t change the character’s name, Ross was giving him the grilling any Marvel fan would, particularly about whether Warlock will be the gold color of The Sovereign. The actor points out the gold sofa he is sitting on, stating “this is a lovely sofa is what I’ll say” perhaps indicating he will in fact have his traditional gold comic-book appearance. The actor also hinted that he is in the process of buffing up for the project.
Whether Warlock remains the superweapon against the Guardians that The Sovereign intends him to be or switches sides as he does in the comics, remains an open question. Also with a few years that have passed between the end of the second film and where we’ll catch up with the Guardians, it is curious to wonder whether we might see Warlock in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Wherever we see Adam Warlock turn up it will be interesting to see what route his story takes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Eternals has finally hit theaters after multiple delays due to the ongoing pandemic, but the wait was worth it. The film will start a new chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Still, as much as things change, some traditions continue. The latest Marvel film features two post-credit scenes, which continue to tease what the future might have in store for fans. The second scene, however, may have left some fans scratching their heads as to just what was going on. Luckily, director Chloé Zhao was able to offer more insight.
We will spoil Eternals and its second post-credit sequence. Only continue at your own risk if you are currently avoiding spoilers for the film.
The final post-credit scene features Dane Whitman pacing back and forth near a large sealed crate with his family’s crest on it. Once it opens, the Ebony Blade is revealed. Dane contemplates picking it up before finally giving in and going for it. Just before Dane is able to pick it up, we hear a voice ask “Sure you’re ready for that Mr. Whitman?”. We never find out who that was as it cuts to black the moment he turns around.
Theories have been going around quite a bit and luckily, Chloé Zhao didn’t waste any time to reveal who exactly was the mysterious visitor. In an interview with Fandome,she confirmed that the voice belonged to Maharshala Ali‘s Eric Brooks, or better known as Blade.
“That was the voice of one of my favorite superheroes, Mr.Blade himself Blade. Blade, Blade, Yeah!.”
While we didn’t get a look at the vampire hunter, it’s a curious reveal. It opens up the window of what exactly his inclusion means for the character, as he prepares to tackle the role that was last seen on silver screens in 2004’s Blade: Trinity. Bladeis set to be directed by Bassam Tariq and will be written by Stacey-Ossei Kuffour. As the film was potentially pushed back by a year, it’ll be interesting to see if he makes an appearance in other supernatural-based adventures.
It looks like Spider-Man: No Way Home is facing some delays after all, but this time only in a few select markets. Columbia Pictures Philippines has shared a Facebook post that includes the upcoming release dates for upcoming Sony films. Sneakily, it confirms that the upcoming Spider-Man threequel won’t release until January 8th. As the film will feature some heavy spoilers, there was an instant petition launched to make sure it releases in December, after all, to get the release on the same day as the rest of the world.
The country is generally getting quite a few projects much later than in other markets. Venom: Let There Be Carnage won’t release until December 8th while Ghostbusters: Afterlife is eyeing a release in January. So, there’s a good chance it didn’t have a release date until recently due to the pandemic. So, it’s very likely a delay that was going to happen either way. Understandably, locals want it to release earlier to avoid any spoilers that will very likely leak online the moment it’s in theaters.
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