Marvel’sEternalswill be released exclusively to theaters and will not receive a simultaneous streaming release to Disney+, claims a new report from industry insiders. This comes following the huge success of recent Marvel outingShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which has so far grossed over $162 million worldwide, breaking numerous box office records along the way. It was reported before the release ofShang-Chithat Disney would decide how best to move forward withEternalsdepending on the financial results, and it seems they have now decided that theaters are back.
The controversy does not stop there however, with Disney CEO Bob Chapek describing the exclusivetheatrical releaseofShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsunder the new 45-day window as an “experiment”, a comment which was not met well by lead actor Simu Liu. Thankfully, and deservedly, the so-called experiment has paid off, and now it seems that theEternalswill follow Shang-Chi into the quasi-uncertainty of a more traditional release.
Eternalswill introduce audiences to a whole new side of theMarvel Cinematic Universeand picks up following the events of last year’s comic book blockbuster event,Avengers: Endgame. Enter the Eternals, a species of immortal aliens from a distant planet who arrived on earth thousands of years ago and have been protecting humans since the dawn of time. Created by the Celestials, a race of powerful extra-terrestrial cosmic beings who have secretly lived on Earth for over 7000 years, the Eternals must reunite to protect humanity from their evil counterparts, the Deviants.
Eternalsis written and directed byOscar-winningfilmmaker Chloé Zhao, with Patrick Burleigh also contributing to the screenplay. Starring an epic ensemble cast including Hollwood icon Angelina Jolie as the fierce Eternal warrior, Thena, Richard Madden as Ikaris, the tactical leader of the Eternals, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, an Eternal who can shoot cosmic energy projectiles from his hands, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, an Eternal with the gift of super-speed, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, who poses super-intelligence, Salma Hayek as Ajak, the leader of the Eternals, and Don Lee as Gilgamesh, the strongest Eternal, the movie should be far from lacking in standout performances.
