‘Eternals’ Trailer: Oscar-Winning Director Chloé Zhao Sets Her Sights on the MCU
Source: marvel.com
Becoming the second woman ever to win the Best Director Academy Award, Chloe Zhao finally reveals an astonishing first look at the MCU superheroes who shape the course of history.
The first trailer for the long-awaited Eternals is here. After the recent Oscar success of Nomadland, Zhao is taking a step up by bringing her own vision to Marvel’s Phase Four Universe. Set in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, the film follows a race of immortal beings secretly living on Earth and influencing historical events, cutting across time periods and mystical landscapes.
Source: marvel.com
The trailer gives a sneak peak at the ensemble cast including Angelina Jolie as a cosmic warrior who can craft weapons, and Richard Madden playing Ikaris, the group leader boasting super strength and the ability to fly. It also introduces the first openly gay MCU superhero, Phatos (Brian Tyree Henry), alongside the first-ever deaf Marvel character, Makkari (Lauren Ridloff). Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Ma Dong-seok, and Gemma Chan also feature in the trailer.
From the first few seconds, it is clear that Zhao’s distinct style is going to present fans of the MCU with a unique and fascinating addition to the Phase Four plans, showing off great open spaces in natural light. The influence of her previous work, The Rider and Songs My Brothers Taught Me, are evident. This time she is collaborating with Captain Marvel cinematographer Ben Davis, but it is clear that the aesthetic is going to build on what she achieved in Nomadland.
Angelina Jolie in Eternals.
President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, even expressed doubt and surprise at Zhao’s ability to shoot without a heavy reliance on visual effects. In an interview for Variety last month, Feige said that Zhao “was really fighting for practical locations.” He recalled watching Nomadland and thinking, “Oh! That is not just what she wanted to bring to Marvel . . . this is a signature style.”
The trailer doesn’t give much indication of the overarching plot, or how it will directly link to the previous MCU – except maybe a final scene that sees the Eternals sat around a dinner table joking about whether Madden’s character can take over from Steve Rogers. Instead, it shows off the physical scale of Zhao’s story, teasing its vast historical reach made even more mysterious by Skeeter Davis’ “The End of the World” track over the top. As we eagerly await to see what else is in store, both superhero fans and cinephiles alike can retain high hopes for Eternals.