Move Over Black Widow, Chloe Zhao Set To Direct Jack Kirby’s Eternals

It’s a not so well-kept secret that Jack Kirby’s Eternals are on their way to the MCU. At some point in Phase 4, we will see the likes of Kronos, Uranos, and Zuras. I suspect as a tie-in, The Eternals will supply backstory to  Thanos, the Deviants, and Celestials.

This is welcomed.

Black Panther

I love diversity. I believe that the world is better for it and the more we have, the more our species progress. Diversity breeds opportunity, new ways of thinking, solutions, and points of views that uniformity simply cannot. Look at Black Panther.

Black Panther was a monumental success. It blended the perfect amount of story, character development, and culture that hadn’t been seen in a Marvel movie. Ryan Coogler successfully did what very few could do. He took the pressure of directing Marvel’s first foray into a Non-Caucasian title hero and crushed it. 

Chloe Zhao, set to direct the Eternals, has the chance to do the same.

If you don’t know who Chloe Zhao is, fear not. Her independent film, The Rider, has spent its existence garnering awards, nominations, and critical praise. If that doesn’t impress you, know that she was set to direct the upcoming Black Widow movie.

What’s interesting is that this announcement comes on the heels of DC announcing that Ava DuVernay is set to direct their New Gods (another Kirby work) adaptation. It seems that there is a race to space happening right before our eyes.

Eternals

The Eternals were created by Jack Kirby and remain one of his most unusual, yet outstanding works.

The Eternals, along with the Deviants were the creation of the Celestials. The Celestials (one of the most powerful species in existence) visited Earth long ago to experiment on humans. From the experiments, the Eternals and Deviants were born. What separates the two is that the Eternals kept their human-like appearance, while the Deviants underwent a transformation. 

For context, Thanos is a deviant.

If The Hollywood Reporter is to be believed, a huge plot point has already slipped. “…one aspect to the story involves the love story between Ikaris, a man fueled by cosmic energy, and Sersi, who relishes moving amongst humans.”

The Eternals will be Marvel’s most ambitious movie to date. If the latest Avengers movie is any indication, they can handle it. 

Cheers,

Joel