Marvel Studios is moving forward with theirThe Eternalsmovie, and they’ve hired an incredibly exciting filmmaker to take the helm. PerTHR,Chloe Zhaowill be directing the comics adaptation, which could be the studio’s next big franchise. Zhao is a Chinese filmmaker with six films in total under her belt, but her 2017 indieThe Riderbrought her immense critical acclaim and the trophy for the inaugural Indie Spirit Awards’ Bonnie Award, which recognizes a mid-career female filmmaker.
The Eternalsis based on a comic series created byJack Kirbyand revolves around the titular superpowered and very nearly immortal beings. THR says one aspect of the current script involves the love story between Ikaris, a man fueled by cosmic energy, and Sersi, “who relishes moving amongst humans.”
Zhao has been on Marvel’s radar as the filmmaker made the studio’s shortlist to direct theBlack Widowmovie, butCate Shortlandended up coming away with that gig. ForThe Eternals, Zhao beat out other contenders that includedTravis Knight(Bumblebee),Cristina Gallego&Ciro Guerra(Birds of Passage), andNicole Kassell, who recently directed HBO’sWatchmenpilot.
Clearly Marvel is getting more ambitious with its filmmaker choices, and no doubt the strength ofRyan Coogler’sBlack Panther—which is unabashedly a personal, thematically heavy Ryan Coogler film—has made other filmmakers more amenable to working with Marvel without fear of having their voice tampered down. Especially now that theMarvel Creative Committee is gone.
It’s unclear when Marvel Studios plans to makeThe Eternals. The project has a script byRuinscribesMatthewandRyan Firpo, but earlier this year Zhao signed on to direct aBass Reevesbiopic for Amazon Studios. That project may come first, or it may have to wait if Marvel wants to getThe Eternalsgoing ASAP. The studio is being tight-lipped about any post-Avengers 4plans, but we’ll know a lot more next summer.
A curious and neat footnote: Zhao was passionately presented with the Bonnie Award at the Independent Spirit Awards by filmmakerAva DuVernay, who is directing a Jack Kirby adaptation of her own at DC,New Gods.
