Chloé Zhao's Journey to Directing Eternals: From Almost Directing Black Widow to Embracing Immortality and Humanity in the MCU
Chloé Zhao, the Oscar-winning director of Eternals, almost directed a different Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie before signing on to direct Eternals. In a recent interview on The Town podcast with Matt Belloni to promote her film Hamnet, Zhao shared that she initially auditioned for Black Widow but had a scheduling conflict. However, when producer Nate Moore presented her with the treatment for Eternals, she was intrigued by the opportunity to explore themes of immortality, mythology, and humanity through the lens of a superhero film.
The core of Eternals revolves around a group of immortal beings who have safeguarded Earth for millennia. As they come out of hiding to confront the Deviants, the film delves into discussions about the nature of humanity and the worthiness of its survival. Zhao saw Eternals as a platform to address existential questions that had been brewing within her during her filmmaking journey.
Eternals features a star-studded cast including Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie. The film, released in November 2021, received a mixed reception from critics. While Zhao's ambitious vision was praised, criticisms were directed at the characters, pacing, and screenplay. Eternals currently holds the second-lowest rating among MCU movies on Rotten Tomatoes, with only Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania scoring lower.