Eternals director Chloé Zhao is unsure if she'll return for a sequel. This latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the first blockbuster from the acclaimed indie director, who is coming off Best Picture and Best Director wins at the 2021 Oscars for her previous feature, Nomadland. After becoming the first Marvel movie to play at a festival earlier in October, Eternals finally hits theaters worldwide today, November 5.

Much like Guardians of the Galaxy before it, Eternals introduces fans of the long-running film and TV franchise to one of the lesser-known groups of Marvel superheroes, the titular race of undying aliens. While every MCU movie has the potential to have lasting consequences on those that follow, many have wondered if Zhao's film is the first in a series of Eternals movies, or intended as a one-off to introduce the characters than can then continue to appear as individuals. While producer Nate Moore ultimately leaves the door open, he has downplayed the possibility of Eternals 2, explaining that not all Marvel projects are required to become trilogies.

Related: Why Eternals' Early Reviews Are So Mixed

For Zhao's part, in an interview with JoBlo.com, she seems unsure if she's locked-in for a multi-film franchise. She explains that the studio encouraged her to focus on the task at hand, and believes it's now up to the audience to decide whether the Eternals merit their own sequel. But, Zhao emphasizes, as long as she's able to explore the themes that interest her, the size of the production is unimportant:

I was encouraged to make a good standalone film, very encouraged to do that. I think now the film belongs to you, not me, and we want to see how this child grows in this scary, wild, and beautiful world. And then we need to watch and listen and learn and then see where we go from there. But I think, maybe I’m wrong about this, but I feel like filmmakers, it doesn’t matter what genre, they tend to make the same movie over and over and over. There’s certain themes, there’s certain things that I would keep pushing, I’m very happy to go back to make films with five people again.

The Eternals cast on a beach

Were Marvel Studios to treat Eternals as a standalone film, it would almost be setting its own precedent. While 2008's The Incredible Hulk was essentially stripped for parts after the titular hero was recast as Mark Ruffalo, a Hulk solo-movie is rumored to be in production, leaving the Scarlett Johansson-swansong Black Widow the only MCU feature not expected to receive a sequel. Even if the studio does opt for Eternals 2, not every creative team is asked to return, and it's possible that a different director could be brought in to build on what Zhao started.

While Black Widow and Eternals could represent a new Phase Four trend of one-off Marvel Studios films, it seems far more likely that Feige and Co. are hedging their bets. On top of being unsure how the wider fanbase will respond to the less-recognizable heroes, bringing in Zhao constituted an artistic swing for the MCU, resulting in a film that has been marketed as a stylistic departure for the franchise. With critical reviews divided over Eternals, the likelihood of Zhao being brought back for a sequel seems slim, but the decision is really more dependent on how audiences react now that the movie is finally in cinemas.

Next: Eternals' 12 Biggest Spoilers

Source: JoBlo.com

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