MCU Head Reveals Gemma Chan’s Sersi Is The Lead In Eternals

Sersi is the lead character in Marvel Studios' Eternals. The Eternals were first introduced in the pages of Marvel Comics in 1976 by legendary comic book creator, Jack Kirby. While the characters are an obscure property, Marvel Studios announced they would be developing a film based on the characters in 2018 as part of Phase 4, and after a year-long delay, Eternals will be arriving in theaters on November 5, 2021.

Eternals will be directed by Academy Award-winner, Chloe Zhao. The film features an all-star cast, including Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Salma Hayek, Don Lee, Lia McHugh, Barry Keoghan, and Kit Harrington. The most surprising name in the cast, however, might be Gemma Chan as the character Sersi. Chan had previously played Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel and is one of a small group of actors to play multiple characters in the MCU.

In an interview with Variety, Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige, commented on the large ensemble of the film. He said if any character had to be considered the lead, it would be Gemma Chan's Sersi, as opposed to one of the bigger names like Angelina Jolie, who is signed on for Thena. The reveal was part of a wider discussion about casting, how the film went about looking for actors to play the Eternals, and being open to changing characters' gender in a way to go after the best people for the roles. Feige said:

There were some characters that we change from male to female, there were some characters that we knew how we were altering them from the books. But then also it came down to casting. So for Sersi, for instance — and if there was a lead in this ensemble, it is Sersi, it is Gemma Chan — we looked at and read all sorts of women for that part. And ended up really believing that Gemma was best for it. And thankfully, she’s proven that to be the case in the final movie.

Sersi being the lead makes a certain amount of sense. Ever since the character was first introduced in The Eternals #3 in 1976, she has become one of the most well-known members of the group in the comics, due to her joining The Avengers in the 1990s. Unlike many of her fellow Eternals who do not interact with mankind, Sersi takes a liking to them and even falls in love with one, Dane Whitman, a.k.a., The Black Knight, who will be played by Kit Harrington in the upcoming film. With Chan in the role, Marvel could be positioning big plans for the character.

Sersi being positioned as the star of the film raises questions about both her place and her fellow Eternals in the wider MCU. As the lead of the Eternals franchise, she could go on to cross-over in other MCU properties down the line. The cosmic nature of Eternals means she could pop up in properties like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3., Thor: Love and Thunder, or Captain Marvel 2. Her status as an Avenger means that she could be a new member of that franchise when Marvel inevitably decides to make a fifth Avengers movie. While it is unknown at this time exactly where the Eternals will fit in the larger MCU narrative going forward, the backstory of the franchise involving Celestials and ties to Thanos, likely means we will be seeing Sersi and the other Eternals for a long time.

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Source: Variety