Chloé Zhao Says Unlimited Resources on Marvel’s ETERNALS Was “Actually Quite Dangerous”
Ahead of the release of her upcoming film Hamnet, Chloé Zhao is reflecting on the lessons she learned while working on Marvel Studios’ Eternals, a movie that didn’t quite hit the mark with audiences when it dropped in 2021.
In a recent chat with Vanity Fair, Zhao opened up about how her experience on Eternals shaped her approach to Hamnet, a much more grounded project based on Maggie O'Farrell’s acclaimed novel about William Shakespeare’s family.
“Eternals prepared me for Hamnet because it’s world-building. Before that, I had only done films that existed in the real world. I also learned what to do and not to do – what’s realistic and what isn't.
"Eternals had, like, an unlimited amount of money and resources. And here we have one street corner that we can afford, to [stand in for] Stratford… Eternals didn't have a lot of limitations, and that is actually quite dangerous. Because we only have that street corner [in Hamnet], suddenly everything has meaning."
Having endless resources may sound like a dream for a filmmaker, but it can also lead to creative decisions that lack focus or restraint. Eternals was certainly ambitious, but its reception was mixed, and it ended up with a 47% score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the lowest-rated titles in the MCU.
Despite grossing over $402 million worldwide, Eternals failed to connect with many MCU fans and has remained one of the more divisive entries in the franchise. Still, the cast and creators seem to believe there’s more story to tell.
In a recent interview, Kumail Nanjiani revealed how much was planned for his character Kingo that never came to fruition. "I signed on for six movies. I signed on for a video game. I signed on for a theme park ride. They make you sign on for all this stuff," he shared.
Gemma Chan, who played Sersi, echoed a similar sentiment. “You never know. We're often the last people to find out. I don't know, I'm keeping the faith. I feel like there's unfinished business there and there's more story to tell, but we'll see," she said.
As for what’s next in the MCU, fans can look forward to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is currently in production with Tom Holland returning as Peter Parker. That film is set to swing into theaters on July 31, 2026, just months ahead of the highly-anticipated Avengers: Doomsday.
Whether or not the Eternals will return is something we don’t know, but for now, Zhao is focused on telling more intimate, emotionally driven stories, and doing it with a whole lot less than a Marvel-sized budget.