Marvel’s Eternals director Chloé Zhao is still working on the film, but says it is almost complete. The upcoming MCU film is set to introduce an all-new cast of heroes when it debuts this November, a year after its original release date. Eternals will follow the titular immortal alien race, reunited after the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, to protect the human race against the evil Deviants. Zhao has assembled a truly stellar cast, with Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, and Kit Harrington all set to star.
Zhao is fresh off of winning a Best Director trophy at the 2021 Oscars for her work on Nomadland, a film she edited entirely on her own. The director is reportedly very involved in the post-production process for Eternals, working on the final cut alongside Marvel’s team of editors. Zhao also had a hand in developing everything from the screenplay to where they would be shooting the film and it sounds like she is still tinkering with the final cut.
In an interview with Variety discussing her Nomadland win, Zhao revealed that Eternals is almost complete. The director says she is in the “final stretch” of working on the film, likening the process to sculpturing. Zhao’s dedication is apparent with the director saying she never wants the process to end.
Final stretch. Just like sculpturing, you never want it to end. You just want to keep going until they tell you you can’t keep going anymore.
Filming on Eternals initially wrapped in February 2020, a little over a month before the pandemic shut down production on most films and television shows. Additional photography was done in November 2020 and February 2021, but the bulk of the film was done well over a year from its release. While it seems like Zhao and co. have had plenty of time to work on the film, a production like Eternals is not easy to complete from home. Zhao set to work editing Nomadland while waiting for the opportunity to complete work on Eternals.
Seeing as Zhao has been heavily involved in the production of her own films, it’s no surprise that she wants to take the reins on Eternals. Marvel reportedly gave her a lot more creative freedom than they usually give to their directors, setting up Eternals to be a unique entry for the MCU. Luckily, with several months to go until Eternals release, Zhao has plenty of time to complete work on the film and ensure that it’s perfect. If it’s anything like Nomadland, it might just be close.
