Marvel Studios and fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are still taking in everything that came from the franchise's last theatrical release, Eternals, which debuted nearly a month ago. With a dozen new characters and thousands of years of MCU history to tackle in the franchise's 26th movie, Marvel Comics' race of immortal beings had a chance to shine in their first solo story.
While Eternals held plenty of thrilling plot developments over the course of the core movie, its post-credits scenes stole the show by setting up exciting prospects for the future. One held a semi-origin story for Kit Harrington's Black Knight, even including Mahershala Ali's Blade in the process, while the other introduced the world to Harry Styles' Eros.
Considering that Styles' inclusion in the film was the talk of the fandom immediately after the film's world premiere, it begs the question of who in Marvel Studios' inner circle was aware of this casting before it came to life. As it turns out, Marvel is just as secretive as ever according to one of Phase 4's key players on screen.
Strange Star In The Dark on Harry Styles
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, MCU star Benedict Cumberbatch shared his surprise about Harry Styles' casting as Eros/ Starfox in Marvel Studios' latest movie, Eternals.
Before offering his praise for the cosmic Phase 4 film, Cumberbatch admitted that he was completely out of the loop on Styles being cast in the role:
"I didn't even know he was, I’m so out of the loop. He's great, really great."
Marvel as Secretive as Ever with Styles
Looking at Phase 4's biggest players on screen, there aren't many names bigger than Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange. The Sorcerer Supreme has already played key roles in four MCU movies to date, which all comes before arguably his most exciting performances yet in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Even with Cumberbatch's status moving forward into Phase 4, Marvel Studios remains possibly the most secretive studio in the movie industry with dozens of secrets under impenetrable lock and key. After all, this is the same team that drove Samuel L. Jackson from his trailer to the set under a cloak to make sure his first time playing Nick Fury in Iron Man didn't leak to anybody.
Playing Doctor Strange may have its perks, but the fact that Cumberbatch wasn't in Eternals almost set into stone that he would have to find out about Styles' casting in the same way as the MCU fans. Looking at how many other unknown post-credits scenes and castings are coming in future Phase 4 projects, Marvel's secretive nature doesn't appear to be stopping anytime soon.
Eternals is now playing in theaters worldwide. Benedict Cumberbatch will return to the MCU as Doctor Strange in December's Spider-Man: No Way Home.
