Marvel's Eternals producer Nate Moore has explained which of the comics influenced the film the most. Eternals is the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and introduces audiences to a new group of superheroes, The Eternals, who are super-powered beings charged with protecting humanity throughout the ages. Created by Jack Kirby in 1976, the Eternals have been a part of the Marvel Universe ever since, playing a larger role behind the scenes and off world, rather than being directly involved in Earth's conflicts.

The film is directed by Chloé Zhao, who shares screenplay credits with Patrick Burleigh, and Ryan & Kaz Firpo. Eternals stars Salma Hayek, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Ma Dong-seok, Barry Keoghan, Bryan Tyree Henry, Lia McHugh, Kumail Nanjiani, and Lauren Ridloff, who make up the 10 members of the super-team. Kit Harington also joins the cast as Dane Whitman, who eventually becomes the Marvel superhero Black Knight.

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During a visit to the set of Eternals at Pinewood Studios in January 2020, Screen Rant was on hand to discuss the film with the cast and filmmakers. This included producer Nate Moore, who revealed which comics most influenced the film. Moore says that the original creator, Jack Kirby, was the driving influence for this particular Marvel project, while also citing the popularity of Neil Gaiman's run on the story. However, the producer said Gaiman's version was largely about "people who didn't realize they were special," which, while a "cool" idea, is also very similar in plot to movies like Harry Potter and The Matrix. Read Moore's full comments below:

"The most popular run was probably the Neil Gaiman run, and I think that the expectation of this movie [is that it] will probably follow on from that, but the truth is we're more inspired by the Kirby stuff, both mythologically and how the movie lays out."

Eternals Poster

Moore went on to say that the Eternals filmmakers felt it would be "more interesting to spend the time with the characters who knew exactly who they were" rather than re-telling a story about superheroes discovering their powers. Based on the film's trailers alone, this seems to be the case, as all of the characters have displayed a knowledge of their powers and how to use them. That said, it does appear that Kit Harington's Black Knight character will potentially gain his powers in the film, which would check the block on that particular aspect of the hero's journey for the film.

Eternals will be the first time that Marvel has ventured into this cosmic corner of the MCU, which makes the introductory film such an important one. The film will serve to set up a number of story elements that will allow the universe to expand in a significant way. With Marvel reacquiring the rights to the X-Men stable of characters, as well as non-mutant characters like Fantastic Four, the expansion of the MCU is in full effect, and Eternals is sure to be a major stepping stone toward the future of it. Eternals arrives in theaters on November 5, and tickets are now on pre-sale.

Next: Why Eternals Needs To Be Longer Than Infinity War

Source: Screen Rant

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