As fans are still reeling from the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios is already laying the groundwork for their next phase of films. One of those films is The Eternals and Variety reports that Game of Thrones and Bodyguard actor Richard Madden is now in talks to join the project alongside Angelina Jolie (Maleficent), Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick) and Ma Dong-seok (Train to Busan).
Madden will portray Ikaris, a member of the human offshoot race The Eternals. The film will center on the love between Ikaris and Jolie’s Sersi, who in the comics left the Eternals and made a life of her own in New York.
Chlose Zhao (The Rider) is directing the film, which is based upon characters created by the legendary Jack Kirby and revolves around follows “super-powered and near-immortal beings known as Eternals and a more monstrous off-shoot known as the Deviants that were created by cosmic beings known as Celestials.”
Fans of the MCU will know the Celestials from the Guardians of the Galaxy films as Knowhere was located in the head of a deceased Celestial and Quill’s father was one himself. And while the films haven’t mentioned it, Thanos himself is an Eternal in the comics.
Madden will next be seen in just a couple weeks alongside Kingsman’s Taron Egerton in the Elton John biopic Rocketman, where he’ll be portraying John’s manager John Reid.
The Eternals is expected to shoot later this year, but is yet to receive a release date from Marvel.
