Angelina Jolie may be heading to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to star in The Eternals. Even though Marvel Studios is just weeks away from launching Avengers: Endgame and ending Phase 3 as a result, Phase 4 of the MCU is already taking shape. We’ve known for some time that Spider-Man: Far From Home will help usher in the next wave, but the studio has also been developing several new properties to introduce: including The Eternals.
Based on the Jack Kirby comics, The Eternals is reportedly going to be a story that could span thousands of years in the MCU. The film is going to be directed by Chloe Zhao, who previously was in consideration to direct fellow Marvel flick Black Widow. She’s been attached to the project since last year, and the film has continued to slowly make progress ever since. Character breakdownssurfaced last year as well that helped give an idea of what characters will be featured in the movie, and now we may know who’ll be the first star.
According to THR, Angelina Jolie is in talks to star in The Eternals. There are no details on her role at this time, but the Oscar-winning actress would be a huge start for the ensemble cast regardless. This will be Jolie’s first comic book movie, and her decision to jump aboard the MCU comes after recently working with Disney again on Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.
Jolie’s career has taken many turns over the years, so she’s done everything from being the romantic interest, to becoming an action star, and taking true dramatic turns in front of the camera. Jolie has also focused more on directing and producing in recent years too, but this will not be one of those instances. Marvel’s ability to get Jolie involved with the MCU is a huge get on its own, yet her star power should be a major help to generate interest for a lesser known property like The Eternals.
The biggest question that her casting leaves us with is obviously what role she’ll play. There are four female characters from the aforementioned breakdowns, but only three that Jolie is likely in line for: Sersi, Thena, and Elysius. Sersi is traditionally one of the lead characters in Eternals comics, and Jolie being the first cast member to possibly join does help make this role seem like the right choice. However, such a role would possibly keep Jolie around for multiple films that could require much of her time. Roles like Thena or Elysius could be smaller parts that still allow for longevity, so if Jolie is looking to join the MCU but still have a flexible schedule, these would make more sense.
No matter what role she ends up taking, Jolie’s resumé speaks for itself and would make her a great start to The Eternals‘ cast. Marvel is reportedly also looking to cast their first openly gay male lead for the film, and with the amount of characters that’ll be featured, Jolie is just the first of many new MCU additions. All will be decided in the coming months too, as The Eternals will start filming this fall, as it’s expected to hit theaters in late-2020.