Chloé Zhao says she understands the mixed reception to the film 'Eternals'

Eternals is, without a doubt, one of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that has divided public opinion the most and continues to be the subject of interviews given by Chloé Zhao, its director. Speaking to Empire magazine, the filmmaker made it clear that she understands the mixed reception to the film, stating that divided opinions “are part of the ecosystem that exists in the (film industry)”. Zhao also adds that perhaps the global context may have influenced public perception.

The director, stating that the fact that the film shows humans and gods questioning their existence was the reason why the team anticipated some “negative” responses to the production, explains that “Eternals was scheduled to be released right after Avengers: Endgame, not at a time when everyone was having an existential crisis”. However, Zhao says: “The need for consensus is an obstacle to any creative process and to living as an authentic person”.

_{Eternals in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie. (Photo: Reproduction/Viciados)}

According to the Oscar-winning filmmaker, praise and criticism are to be expected when working in Hollywood. “None of these things influence me as an artist, because every time I have the good fortune to create, I learn in the process. (I learn) from what went right and what went wrong. But this learning is something very intimate.”.

Characters created by Jack Kirby in 1976, the Eternals, like the Deviants, were prehistoric humans who were genetically modified by a group of Celestials.

_{Celestials in Marvel comics. (Photo: Reproduction/Legião dos Heróis)}

In this case, the Celestial Gammenon, the Collector, took the first individuals and separated them from the rest. Then, Tiamut, the Communicator, began to supervise the genetic manipulations of his colleagues. From the original group, Ziran, the Tester, began to carry out experiments that resulted in the Deviants, a new species scientifically called Homo Descendus. In the end, Nezzar, the Calculator, updated the design of his Celestial colleague, making changes that resulted in a perfect species: the Eternals, Homo Immortalis.

In the end, the Eternals were returned to Earth, the Deviants too, with the aim of protecting the Celestials, their machine and correcting an excessive genetic deviation, which they had done for millennia, without interfering in the life of the planet.

The feature film, released in 2021, has a cast composed of Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington, Lauren Ridloff, among others.

Audiences can watch “Eternals” on the Disney+ streaming service.

Featured Photo: Chloé Zhao at the premiere of “Eternals”. Reproduction/WWD.