Marvel has done a pretty good job keeping the actual details of its upcoming Eternals movie under wraps but what is clear is that the film features a pretty staggering ensemble. With names like Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek amongst the cast, one has to wonder who actually takes the lead in the film and now Marvel boss, Kevin Feige, is giving us a little insight into who the lead character is.
In a recent interview with "Variety", Feige primarily focused on Eternals' director Chloé Zhao, who was fresh off her Best Director and Best Picture Oscar win for Nomadland. This shifted the conversation over into Zhao's involvement with casting the film and that's when Feige let it slip that Gemma Chan's character Sersi takes the lead role in the project:
“So for Sersi, for instance — and if there was a lead in this ensemble, it is Sersi, it is Gemma Chan — 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. So, of course, Chloé was a big part of that decision, and of every casting decision. Some of it was done beforehand, and that continued once she was on board as director.”
I honestly wasn't expecting Chan's role to be at the center of the film but I will say it's a pleasant surprise. There is something about Chan that is very compelling to watch and I think this film will allow her to shine brightly with her fellow co-stars. She's certainly in good company in the film with the likes of Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harrington, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Ma Dong-Seok, and Brian Tyree Henry rounding out the star-studded ensemble. The cast alone has made this film one I've been highly anticipating as I think it can be a game-changer for Marvel if done right.
In the comics, Sersi first appeared in the 1976-78 comic book series "The Eternals." She is a fourth-generation member of the Eternals, an evolutionary offshoot of the human race. Sersi is the daughter of Helios and Perse and, at a young age, she differed from her fellow Eternals in her desire to live amongst humans. It was during her time in ancient Mesopotamia that she first met Captain America. Down the line in the comics, she becomes a member of the Avengers and God Squad.
Eternals wrapped filming back in February 2020 and was planned for release in November of the same year. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the film's release to be delayed which actually allowed Zhao to finish up work on Nomadland. Feige says "She initially was going to put Nomadland on the shelf until after Eternals was finished and released, and then come back to it. Because of our COVID shutdown, she decided to get her laptop out and, you know, finish up a little movie she was doing."
Eternals will focus on a species of immortal aliens from a distant planet who arrived on Earth thousands of years ago and have been protecting humans since the dawn of time. The Eternals were created by Celestials, a race of powerful extraterrestrial beings who have secretly lived on Earth for over 7000 years. In order to protect Earth, The Eternals must reunite to protect humanity from their evil counterparts.
What are YOUR thoughts on Gemma Chan's Sersi leading Eternals? Marvel's star-studded ensemble hits screens on November 5, 2021.