Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao’s Marvel offering Eternals won’t hit theatres until November 2021, but the first official trailer promises that it will be worth the wait.
The upcoming MCU feature follows an immortal alien race, called the Eternals, who have secretly lived on Earth for thousands of years. The heroes possess different powers and abilities, including super strength and the ability to fly.
The ensemble film is a celebration of inclusion and diversity with Lauren Ridloff playing Makkari — the first deaf superhero in the MCU, and Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos — the first openly gay superhero. Meanwhile, Zhao herself became only the second-ever woman in history to win an Academy Award for best director, taking home the coveted prize for Nomadland at the 2021 Oscars.
Marvel clearly spared no expense in assembling the cast for the blockbuster, with Angelina Jolie, Kit Harrington, Kumail Nanjiani and Salma Hayek all taking on roles in the film. To help you keep track of all of the A-listers who appear in Eternals, read on for the full cast list.
Gemma Chan — Sersi
Posing as a museum curator on Earth, Sersi is an empathetic Eternal who possesses the ability to manipulate matter.
Chan, meanwhile, is perhaps best known for her performances in Crazy Rich Asians and Captain Marvel.
Richard Madden — Ikaris
Ikaris is Sersei’s lover and the all-powerful leader of the Eternals. The character can fly, shoot beams of cosmic energy from his eyes and has super strength.
Madden came to prominence as Robb Stark in Game of Thrones.
Angelina Jolie — Thena
Thena is a warrior who can create any weapon out of cosmic energy.
Oscar-winner Jolie, of course, has an extensive resume spanning the past two decades but was most recently seen in the action-thriller film Those Who Wish Me Dead.
Salma Hayek — Ajak
Ajak is gender-swapped in the Eternals film with Hayek writing on Instagram: “I’m so excited to join the Marvel family as Ajak, the mother of all Eternals. It used to be the father of all Eternals, but girls … this is OUR time !!!!”
Similar to Ikaris, Ajak can fly and has the ability to teleport.
Hayek’s recent projects have included Like a Boss and The Roads Not Taken and she will soon be seen in House of Gucci with Lady Gaga and Adam Driver.
Kumail Nanjiani — Kingo
In the comics, Kingo is described as being one of the most skilled swordsmen on Earth, and has trained extensively with Samurai. In the studio’s official description for the movie, Kingo is described as being “cosmic-powered.”
Nanjiani is best known for starring in the comedy series Silicon Valley and for his Oscar-nominated film The Big Sick which was inspired by his actual love story with his wife and collaborator Emily V. Gordon.
Brian Tyree Henry — Phastos
As previously mentioned, Phastos is the first openly gay character in the MCU. He is also an engineer who is fast, strong, and can fly.
You might recognise Henry from films such as If Beale Street Could Talk, Godzilla vs Kong and The Woman in the Window, as well as TV shows such as Atlanta, How to Get Away With Murder and This Is Us.
Don Lee — Gilgamesh
In the comics, Gilgamesh also goes by the names Hercules, Beowulf, and actually joined the Avengers.
For his part, Lee is one of South Korea’s most successful actors, best known for his performance in Train to Busan.
Barry Keoghan — Druig
Druig is Ikaris’ cousin whom Marvel Studios describes as an “aloof loner.” Like other Eternals, he can fly, teleport, and manipulate atoms.
Keoghan is best known for his critically acclaimed appearance in Dunkirk.
Lauren Ridloff — Makkari
In the comics, Makkari has a vibrant red suit and mask and was also known as Mercury.
Ridloff is best known for her portrayal of Connie in The Walking Dead.
Kit Harrington — Dane Whitman/Black Knight
Dane Whitman is a physicist who may not be super-powered like the Eternals but is quite skilled with a sword. In the comics, Black Knight started a relationship with Sersi.
Kit Harrington is, of course, best known for portraying Jon Snow in Game of Thrones.
Lia McHugh — Sprite
In another gender-swap Sprite will be female in the Eternals film. In the comics, Sprite is a young boy who is able to change his appearance and who is deceptively much older than his appearance suggests. Sprite likes to play tricks, often at the expense of his own kind.
McHugh has previously been seen in Totem, The Lodge and Into the Dark.
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