Gemma Chan's Eternals Movie Character Explained: Who is Sersi?

Gemma Chan is playing her second MCU character, Sersi, in Marvel's Eternals after initially playing Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel. Though Sersi isn't the main protagonist in most Eternals stories, she's one of the most important Eternals character in Marvel Comics.

Confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Marvel's Eternals was initially expected to hit theaters in 2020 as the second movie on Marvel's Phase 4 slate. However, the coronavirus pandemic bumped the film's release a year, and it's now set to hit theaters on November 5, 2021, two months after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, making Eternals the third Phase Four film in the MCU after Shang-Chi and Black Widow. Directed by Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao (Nomadland), Eternals will see the titular characters battle their comic book adversaries, the Deviants. The star-studded cast includes Angelina Jolie as Thena, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, and Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington as Dane Whitman (aka, Black Knight), a character with whom Sersi shares a deep connection in the comics, among others.

The Eternals are a rather obscure property in Marvel Comics. The team of god-like immortals was created by the legendary comic book writer and artist Jack Kirby, who gave them a short-lived series in the late 1970s. Since then, the Eternals have only appeared sporadically. The Eternals are a rather obscure property in Marvel Comics. The team of god-like immortals was created by the legendary comic book writer and artist Jack Kirby, who gave them a short-lived series in the late 1970s. Since then, the Eternals have only appeared sporadically. However, one Eternals character in particular has received more exposure than most: Sersi. She was a fixture of the main Avengers title in the early 1990s, serving as the central focus for several of its stories at the time. Here's everything you need to know about Gemma Chan's Eternals character in particular has received more exposure than most: Sersi. She was a fixture of the main Avengers title in the early 1990s, serving as the central focus for several of its stories at the time. Here's everything you need to know about Gemma Chan's Eternals character.

Gemma Chan Will Play Sersi In The MCU

In 2019, it became official that Gemma Chan would be take on the role of Sersi despite having already played an MCU character. In Captain Marvel, Gemma Chan played the Starforce member Minn-Erva. But as a Kree, Minn-Erva bears little resemblance to Chan's Eternals character.

The actress is known for her roles in the box office hit Crazy Rich Asians and the science fiction TV series Humans. Her comic book accurate costume for the new movie has been shown in concept art and has come to life in the film's two released trailers. Sersi has a deep love of humanity and is one of the only Eternals who happily lives among them (the other being Kingo). She is seen throughout the film in various eras spanning thousands of years and it's through her that fans will learn why the Eternals never got involved in human history outside protecting the Earth from the Deviants. Whether Marvel Studios has plans for Sersi beyond Eternals isn't clear, but if Chan's Sersi is anything like her comic book counterpart, she could have a bright future in the MCU.

Sersi's Origin Story In Marvel Comics

Thousands of years ago, cosmic beings known as the Celestials came to Earth and experimented on human DNA. The product of their experiments were two genetic offshoots of the human race: the Eternals and the Deviants. The Eternals are a super-powered species gifted with immortality. The Eternals, led by Zuras, shut themselves off from humanity by spending most of their time in Olympia, a city hidden in the mountains of Greece.

While most Eternals limit their activities in the human world, Sersi has always found pleasure in mingling with humans. As a result, Sersi is tied up in multiple events in mythology, folklore, and ancient history. Sersi has encountered Homer, Merlin, Odysseus, a younger version of Thor, and a time-traveling Captain America - even becoming the inspiration for the character of Circe in Homer's Odyssey. In the modern era, Sersi still enjoys the benefits of being in human society, regularly holding parties in areas like New York City.

Sersi's Powers And Abilities Explained

The Eternals are different from all other races in Marvel Comics. These immortal beings possess a vast array of super powers that are granted to them by the cosmic energy that flows through their veins. What makes the Eternals so different from the Inhumans and the X-Men, who possess their abilities thanks to genetic mutation, is that they all have the same powers. So every Eternal, including Sersi, is capable of superhuman strength, telepathy, teleportation, matter manipulation, shooting cosmic rays from their eyes and hands, and flight through levitation.

The Eternals are Marvel's most powerful superheroes and Sersi is several levels above most of her fellow Eternals, which speaks volumes about her capabilities. Some Eternals, like Sersi, have channeled their cosmic energy to improve certain abilities. For this reason, Sersi's power to manipulate matter far exceeds the rest of her race. With her seemingly immeasurable power, Sersi can create weaker clones of other heroes, turn a gun into rubber, and even bend adamantium. Her transmutation ability is perhaps her greatest asset, as it is something that she can use to help her allies, or render her enemies ineffective. She can turn Captain America back into a teenager, and can even transform someone as powerful as an Eternal into a helpless aardvark.

The Eternals trailers have yet to show the full range of her powers, but there's no doubt the film will at least showcase many of them when it's most crucial. In the film, Chan describes Sersi as not being the best fighter or having the most impressive powers; she's gentle and compassionate. What sets her apart from her teammates is that she's an empath who has a deep connection with the world. That seems to be what her primary role will be, and she will likely be the heart of the story because of it.

Sersi's Most Important Marvel Comics Stories

Sersi's most important stories in Marvel Comics came in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when her association with the Avengers first began. Her transmutation skills were so helpful to Captain America that he decided to offer her membership with the Avengers. In pursuit of adventure (and possibly to continue her flirtations with Captain America), Sersi accepted and joined the team, becoming one of only three Eternals to become Avengers. As time passed, Sersi developed romantic feelings for Black Knight.

During this time, Sersi contracted an Eternal disease called the Mahd Wy'ry, which was causing her to become overly aggressive and mentally unstable. Due to Sersi's powerful nature, the idea that Sersi could go mad carried a great threat to the Marvel Universe. In order to keep her from losing control, the Eternals psychically bonded her to the object of her affection, Black Knight. During this time, Sersi was a lot like the X-Men's Jean Grey, an immensely powerful character with the potential for limitless destruction. Like Jean, Sersi could be the team's greatest ally or its greatest enemy. While with the Avengers, Sersi and Black Knight went up against Proctor, an evil, corrupted version of Black Knight from an alternate universe who was traveling across the multiverse, killing every version of Sersi he could find. In the end, the Avengers defeated Proctor. In the aftermath of the battle, it was determined that Sersi could no longer keep the Mahd Wy'ry at bay, so she and Black Knight left the Marvel Universe together.

It's doubtful Eternals will tackle this particular story, but Sersi will be connected with Black Knight, whom she is dating in the present day. The film spans 7,000 years and will cover Sersi's romance with fellow Eternal Ikaris as well, with her character clearly being shown to love humanity and wanting to protect them at all costs from the Deviants. Aside from that, however, it's unclear what Sersi's individual storyline will be beyond the love triangle, but she will play an integral role in reuniting the Eternals and squaring off against their enemies.

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