Marvel’s upcoming film, Eternals, has a very large ensemble cast including Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Don Lee, and Kit Harington. While Madden’s Ikaris has usually been the lead in the Eternals comics, Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige indicated that the movie is going in another direction. During a new interview with Variety, Feige singled out Gemma Chan’s Sersi as the lead in this large cast of characters.
“If there was a lead in this ensemble, it is Sersi, it is Gemma Chan,” said Feige. “We looked at and read all sorts of women for that part. And ended up really believing that Gemma was best for it. And thankfully, she’s proven that to be the case in the final movie.
Chan’s casting was surprising because she had already appeared in the MCU as Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel. Regardless, the success of Crazy Rich Asians and Chan’s role in that movie may have inspired Marvel to revisit her for this film.
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Feige also spoke at length about Eternals director Chloé Zhao. Over the weekend, Zhao won Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture for her latest film, Nomadland. He went on to praise her voice and artistic talents, as well as her genuine affection for the material.
“These are the kind of filmmakers we want to work with, regardless of the size of the film they’ve done before,” said Feige. “Unique voices, with unique things to say. And in her case, which is not always a prerequisite by any means, she was a giant fan, both of the MCU and of the comics fan and of the genre. Which watching her movies you wouldn’t necessarily guess. So it was neat that she let that be known.”
Additionally, Feige recalled the pitch that Zhao and producer Nate Moore put together for Eternals.
“The two of them started working on something that they then brought to me, and it was an absolute spectacular pitch that Chloé put together. A presentation that Chloé put together about a very bold and very ambitious sprawling 7000-year story of humanity and our place in the cosmos.”
Eternals will hit theaters on November 5.
Are you glad to hear that Gemma Chan will have the lead role in Eternals? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Eternals by Jack Kirby Vol. 1
