SPOILERS AHEAD FOR MARVEL’S “ETERNALS”
Chloe Zhao’s “Eternals” at Marvel Studios ended up being a rare dud for both the filmmaker and the studio. The movie attempted to eschew the usual Marvel formula, but offered up instead something that didn’t click with audiences.
In a new interview with Empire, Zhao explained that the film could’ve gone darker and more risque (by Marvel standards) than it did as she had something different in mind when it came to the film’s ending.
She spoke to the outlet about what it contained, how it didn’t go over well with test audiences, and why they opted to change it:
“We actually had another ending that is really bleak. Bleak. I didn’t hate it, because I’m used to films that are more melancholy. But I don’t think it went down well with audiences.
It used to end with everybody back on the ship, minds erased and just going on to another planet, like ‘The Twilight Zone.’ I remember when it goes to black, everyone was like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ And also, it’s the MCU, and you want to be excited for what’s next.”
Zhao also discussed her inclusion of Harry Styles as Eros in the film’s post-credits scene and how excited she is for him to join the MCU:
“Long story short, with that depressing ending, at some point [Eros] was going to be one of the Eternals on that ship. And that didn’t quite work out. But I had been wanting to bring Eros into the MCU.
So I kept mentioning it to Kevin [Feige] at every chance I had in the hallway because I love the idea of Eros being another Eternal, another Ajak. He’s an Eternal, and he was stationed on Titan – ten of them were, just like the ten Eternals on Earth, assuming Titan is also a host planet at some point.
Now, if you think about that, what influence could Eros have had on the inhabitants of Titan, the way Ajak has influenced people on Earth? And how that has affected Thanos?
For me, the backstory of Eros is that he deserted, he said, ‘I’m not doing this anymore.’ So he somehow got that sphere, which you saw in his hand, and he ran off and made Pip the troll. They’re like Han Solo and Chewie.
Arishem’s been looking for him, and he’s just been a space outlaw. That’s the character I had in my mind. But I never said once to Kevin, ‘Here’s the character. Let’s find an actor.’ For me, it was a package deal. It’s got to be Harry. That’s how I pitched it to Kevin.”
For those who missed it in cinemas, “Eternals” will be arriving on Disney+ on January 12th ahead of a Blu-ray and 4K UHD release on February 15th.
