Even though the film was hailed as one of the weakest in the MCU, fans have been curious about another Eternals with director Chloe Zhao.
While attending a red carpet event for the 16th Annual Women In Film Oscar Party, The Hollywood Reporter asked the filmmaker for an update on Eternals 2 and if she was returning to helm the next entry.
Zhao offered a “no comment” statement that shut down any conversation about a sequel.
“When you’re in Marvel and when you’re dealing with an audience that big, I truly treasure and respect that each of us is so unique. It’s exciting that we’re all so different, and we’re all changing and growing every day,” says Zhao. “But with a global audience, it’s almost impossible to make everybody perfectly happy, and to do that is to say that everyone is the same.”
She adds, “So I think there’s inevitably going to be that [difference of opinion], and you just have to stay true to the kind of film you want to make and who you are and the people you’re collaborating with. That’s all you can do, really, and have a good time. Everything else is out of your control.”
Released in the fall of 2021, Eternals grossed $402 million worldwide on a $200 million budget. The film scored 47% on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest of the Marvel Studios slate.
While she may not return to the MCU soon, Chloe Zhao is still busy. In 2021, Zhao’s film Nomadland won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for McDormand at the 93rd Academy Awards. The filmmaker is currently writing the script for her take on Dracula, a sci-fi western for Universal Pictures.
“Marvel Studios’ Eternals features an exciting new team of Super Heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, The Deviants.”
Eternals is directed by Chloe Zhao (The Rider) and features a cast that includes Angelina Jolie (Maleficent) as Thena, Richard Madden (Bodyguard) as Ikaris, Don Lee (Train to Busan) as Gilgamesh, Salma Hayek (The Hitman’s Bodyguard) as Ajak, Lauren Ridloff (The Walking Dead) as Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry (Child’s Play) as Phastos, Lia McHugh (American Woman) as Sprite, Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick) as Kingo, Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) as Dane Whitman, Gemma Chan (Captain Marvel) as Sersi and Barry Keoghan (Dunkirk) as Druig.
