Chloé Zhao reveals Eternals was a low priority for Marvel: “It was just one of their potential options.”

Eternals director Chloé Zhao shared that before she joined the 2021 superhero film, it wasn’t a major focus for Marvel Studios. In an interview, she noted, “Eternals was not high on their priority list because it’s a quite unique IP and it [was] only on their list of potential players.” She explained that Marvel typically seeks the right filmmaker before committing to a project.

Given the context, it makes sense that Eternals was lower on the priority list, especially as the studio was emerging from the pandemic with no releases in 2020 and trying to follow up on the success of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. However, things shifted once Zhao came on board. She recalled Marvel head Kevin Feige expressing his trust in her vision, saying, “Literally no one in the world was interested in it or told you to do it, but you wanted to do it.”

Eternals stood out from Marvel’s typical offerings, incorporating themes of Greek mythology and ancient warriors, which contrasted with the modern heroes fans were accustomed to. The film tells the story of a group of ancient aliens who have secretly lived on Earth for millennia, only to be forced into action when a sudden tragedy reveals their existence and pits them against their enemies, the Deviants.

Zhao felt “electrified” when she first read the script, describing it as a “Greek play where gods get to discuss everything about human nature based on their own relationship.” Despite her enthusiasm, the film received mixed reviews and continues to spark debate among Marvel fans, currently holding a 47% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Interestingly, Eternals wasn’t Zhao’s first encounter with Marvel; she was previously considered for Black Widow, which also released in 2021. “Let me set the record straight. It doesn’t mean I had a job. I was in the running,” she clarified. “But it didn’t feel like the right story for me, so I pulled myself out [of contention].” Now, nearly four years later, Zhao is nominated for an Oscar for Best Director for her 2025 adaptation, Hamnet, which garnered eight nominations in total.

Eternals is currently available for streaming.