Eternals is set to showcase a brand new group of superheroes in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, and they will be played by an all-star ensemble of actors and actresses.
Directed by Academy Award-winning director Chloe Zhao, the upcoming MCU origin film will explore the group of cosmic immortals that have been living on Earth for thousands of years, but chose not to interfere with human conflicts unless the villainous Deviants were involved.
The film will feature the MCU debuts of actors like Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Kit Harington, and Kumail Nanjiani. Throughout Eternals' marketing push, Jolie has been at the forefront when giving out tidbits about the MCU project.
Jolie previously shared that the main reason behind her involvement with Eternals came from her desire to be part of a "diverse family." In addition, the veteran actress also revealed how the film was pitched to her, with her sharing that Zhao used pieces of candy to designate various human civilizations on a map as they'll be explored in the movie.
Now, Jolie provides new insight about Eternals, as well as a superhero role that she rejected in the past.
Angelina Jolie Was Almost a Superhero Before Eternals
Via @CreamOrScream, Eternals star Angelina Jolie, who plays Thena in the upcoming MCU film, sat down with Empire to talk about her Marvel debut.
Jolie first admitted that she doesn't usually "lean towards superhero or sci-fi films," but she changed her mind with Eternals since the actress "felt like something else was happening" in the movie's narrative:
"I don't usually lean towards superhero or sci-fi films. It's not usually what I'm looking to do. It felt like something else was happening in this film, though. It was very character-driven."
Empire also took note of Jolie's comment that she once turned down a famous superhero role before Eternals, but the star declined to say which out of respect for the actress who went to play the character.
Meanwhile, Kumail Nanjiani, who plays Kingo, shared that introducing all of the Eternals in a single film wasn't "easy," citing the fact that these heroes aren't Spider-Man or Captain America:
"These guys aren't Spider-Man or Captain America or the Hulk. A lot of hardcore fans won't know who the Eternals are. Introducing them all at once, that isn't easy."
Jolie then shared that the Eternals team is a "really equal family," while also admitting that she wanted to be part of that collection of heroic individuals:
"It's not one of us in front and other characters behind. It's this really equal family. And I wanted to be a part of this family."
Angelina Jolie's Highly-Anticipated MCU Debut
Angelina Jolie hasn't been shy about sharing her excitement with Eternals, and these latest comments further add to what fans can expect from the film.
The actress' remark about the film being "very character-driven" should be a welcome development, since all of the heroes have yet to make their live-action debut. By doing this, Eternals seems poised to showcase a relatable batch of characters for fans to admire.
It's also fitting that Jolie once again described the ensemble of characters as a "family." The trailers already showcased a preview of the family dynamic of the cosmic immortals, and it will be interesting to find out how it will be highlighted throughout the film's narrative.
Kumail Nanjiani's comment that introducing every Eternal in the film is not an easy task is understandable, mainly because they are not well-known characters to casual fans. Still, Marvel Studios already did wonders for the Guardians of the Galaxy so the same thing could happen to the Eternals, especially after positive remarks from the cast and the intriguing vision of award-winning director Chloe Zhao.
Meanwhile, not much is known about Angelina Jolie's previous superhero role, but there are several strong candidates on both Marvel and DC's side.
For Marvel, it's possible that Jolie would've been up for the role of Captain Marvel, Black Widow, or even Gamora. Perhaps Jolie could have even been up for the role of Elektra in Ben Affleck's Daredevil, since the actress was carving out her path as an action star at the time. As for DC, the prime candidate would be Wonder Woman, but there's also a chance that she could have ended up playing Cyclone or Isis in Black Adam.
Eternals is set to premiere exclusively in theaters on November 5, 2021.
