Eternals star Barry Keoghan has previously defended Chloé Zhao’s directorial debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and, at the same time, pointed out why the film seemed to have elicited mixed responses from the audience.
Released in 2021, Eternals featured a number of characters that Marvel fans have never met before. The post-Endgame era struggled during the pandemic, and fans were probably still mourning the loss of Iron Man as well as Black Widow.
Barry Keoghan On Eternals Getting Mixed Reactions From Fans
Despite the hatred that Marvel’s Eternals received, many fans still believed it was a great film, and director Chloé Zhao could bring more to the table. Actor Barry Keoghan also defended the movie during his interview via Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast:
“I think Chloe [Zhao] brought a whole kind of feel to it. You know? So Chloe brings – as you’ve seen from her past films – raw performances and really, really touching performances. I don’t think it was… I think it was new. I think it was just new. It was new for the Marvel world.”
He noted that the plot was somehow unfamiliar to fans, and Zhao’s technique is still a fresh concept for the viewers. It does take a little while before people get used to things, the same way the MCU slowly introduced the entire Avengers saga over a decade.
Despite the star-studded cast, with the likes of Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Harry Styles, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, and Salma Hayek making an appearance, Eternals failed to impress the viewers and even garnered a number of negative reviews.
There is no confirmation yet on the possible sequel, though Pip the Troll actor Patton Oswalt previously teased via The Today Show:
“They have announced there’s going to be an Eternals sequel. Chloé Zhao is going to direct it. So, hopefully, there will be more adventures of Starfox and Pip.”
Marvel Studios has not yet announced any news regarding the rumored sequel, so the actor’s statement is either just his speculation or something he has heard within the studio.
Fans Show All-Out Appreciation For Eternals Despite Backlash
Marvel fans continue to support Eternals despite the hate it has received since its 2021 release. The MCU has been criticized a lot, especially during its controversial Phase 4, which is known as the post-Endgame era. Still, many believe Eternals deserved more love and appreciation. Check out fans’ tweets below:
Eternals was the kind of movie Marvel should be making all of the time now, and it was probably the last good movie they ever made (that didn’t rely on nostalgia star-power)
— 88y53 (@88y53) December 8, 2023
Negativity about Eternals. That film is a gem in the MCU and Chloé Zhao deserves better from the fans.
— Jordan, Prime Eternal (@TheMightyJor) December 8, 2023
‘Eternals’ is actually amazing and it’s, visually, the most beautiful MCU film. MCU fans only hate it because it’s a serious drama instead of being a “fun” movie with that corny, cheesy MCU humor. It actually takes itself seriously which is refreshing.
— Rashad Hardrick (@TheRashadBrand) December 9, 2023
Time will be incredibly kind to #Eternals, I really think it will go down as one of MARVEL’s truly great pieces of art & a true love letter to the cosmic majesty of Jack Kirby. Please let Chloe Zhao keep cooking with these characters for the foreseeable future pic.twitter.com/QLpexNp6gM
— RoFF (@RoffsRamblings) December 2, 2023
Say what you want about the Eternals but all of the fight scenes were great. Specifically this one.pic.twitter.com/x1ipSuW9JC
— Josh (@JoshuaM37848390) December 7, 2023
MCU’s post-Endgame installments have started traversing the complex concept of multiverse. Surely, many fans still miss the old feel of the franchise, but Eternals opened a lot of possibilities and opportunities for the Marvel creative team to explore and dive into.
