Millie Bobby Brown has shot down speculation that she has been cast in The Eternals. Although it wasn't her first foray into television, the teenage actress became a household name courtesy of her breakout role as the super-powered Eleven in the Netflix series Stranger Things. The third season of the nostalgia-filled science-fiction series recently dropped in its entirety on Netflix, once again drawing in record-breaking numbers. In recent years, Brown has also made the jump to the big screen, most recently starring in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
Marvel, meanwhile, made its big screen return earlier this month with Spider-Man: Far From Home. The latest MCU outing is not only a standalone Spidey sequel but, directly following up Avengers: Endgame, also closes the last chapter of Phase 3. Even before the film's equally record-breaking release, however, fans had already been looking ahead to the future of Disney's billion-dollar franchise. Though the official slate has yet to be revealed, a number of Phase 4 films are already known to be in various stages of development, including a Black Widow prequel, Marvel's first Asian-led film Shang-Chi, and the highly anticipated introduction to The Eternals.
One of the rumors most prominently circulating is that Brown had reportedly been cast. Live-streaming on her personal Instagram, however, Brown addressed those reports directly. Between bouts of singing the theme from The Neverending Story and discussing her range of Converse, the young actress was asked about her potential Marvel role. Here's what she had to say in response: "OK, guys, this is the problem. Everybody thinks that I'm going to be in a Marvel movie. Not that I know of. My family and I have no idea. So, I just want to let everybody know that I'm not... as of right now."
The Eternals will reportedly begin filming in September. With Chloé Zhao already attached as director, and a cast that looks set to include Angelina Jolie and Richard Madden as Ikaris, the film could span thousands of years, even prior to the present MCU. As such, it would present a perfect opportunity to explore Thanos' past. The most recent word is that Salma Hayek is also in talks for a role. Disney and Marvel Studios also remain eager to bring Keanu Reeves on board, be it for this film or another.
Brown has been rumored as being attached to the MCU as far back as the simultaneous filming of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. It was believed that she may turn up in a cameo or a post-credit scene setting up The Eternals. With the film eschewing the usual Marvel formula, however, it never came to be. Regardless, fans still hoped that she would ultimately join the franchise. As such, hearing her shoot down the idea will no doubt be a huge disappointment to many.
There is a chance, though, this could be another classic case of Marvel's penchant for secrecy at work. After all, the young actress also cast doubt on the possibility of Stranger Things season 4 - despite the fact that many of the cast are officially contracted through a fourth adventure. With Marvel set to host a panel at SDCC, official details regarding their Phase 4 slate and official casting announcements - for The Eternals and beyond - may only be a short wait away, whatever the case regarding Brown herself ends up being.
Source: Millie Bobby Brown