By all accounts that we’ve heard so far, it would appear that Marvel Studios basically gave Chloe Zhao a ton of creative independence in developing her upcoming superhero blockbuster, “Eternals.” She’s already talked about how she is a writer on the script (a fairly rare feat in terms of Marvel films) and how she’s still using a lot of the same filming techniques (natural lighting, small camera rigs, etc…) that she has mastered with her previous indie features such as “The Rider” and the recent “Nomadland.” And apparently, that sort of freedom happened during the casting of “Eternals,” where the director wasn’t looking for performers that would change themselves for the role. Instead, she was looking for performers that already embody the characters in the film.
In a new profile on Zhao in Vulture, there were some tidbits about “Eternals” that show how the filmmaker approached casting her superhero blockbuster. The filmmaker has previously said that she sought out Marvel Studios to collaborate with and was, at one time, in the running for the “Black Widow” directing job as well. Of course, we know that job went to Cate Shortland, and Zhao ended up landing the cosmic epic, “Eternals.” And in describing what unique spin she brings to the world of superheroes, Kumail Nanjiani, who stars as Kingo in the feature, spoke about the casting process for the role.
“I was like, ‘Okay, so how do you see Kingo?’” said Nanjiani. “She was like, ‘He’s you. I picked you because I wanted him to be you.’ That’s how she picked the entire cast. She wanted everybody to put pieces of themselves into their characters.”
And she definitely picked one hell of a cast, didn’t she? In addition to Nanjiani, the actors enlisted for “Eternals” might be the best assortment of folks to ever grace a non-‘Avengers’ Marvel Studios film including Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Lia McHugh, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan, and Barry Keoghan.
The cast is a major aspect of what makes Nanjiani believe that “Eternals” might be, not only the most diverse superhero cast we’ve ever seen but perhaps one of the most diverse, worldly casts we’ve seen in a film in recent memory.
READ MORE: Kevin Feige Says Chloe Zhao’s ‘Eternals’ Pitch Was The Best He’s Ever Heard
“You never see a movie with a cast that looks like the world this much, let alone big superheroes in a Marvel movie,” said the actor.
Of course, the joke response to that comment could be that we may never get to see this movie, due to the pandemic causing massive issues in the film industry, leading to a delay of more than a year for “Eternals.” The film currently sits on a November 5 release date. However, with many believing “Black Widow” could be postponed yet again, there’s a shot that “Eternals” might be vacating its fall 2021 release date also. But regardless of when it might actually hit theaters, it appears that there’s a lot to be excited for with Zhao’s first blockbuster film.