Marvel finally confirms The Eternals, starring Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, and Kumail Nanjiani

By Sam Barsanti | July 21, 2019 | 1:01am

Aux Features Film

Marvel finally confirms The Eternals, starring Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, and Kumail Nanjiani

Photo: Emma McIntyre

This evening, during its San Diego Comic-Con panel, Marvel Studios finally confirmed one of its many poorly kept secrets, announcing that Chloé Zhao is going to direct a movie based on Jack Kirby’s The Eternals. The movie is set for November 2020, and Marvel also kindly confirmed all of the casting rumors we had already heard about over the past few months, with Game Of Thrones’ Richard Madden starring as Ikaris, Angelina Jolie apparently playing Thena (who is sort of a younger, reckless, naive fighter in the original comics), Salma Hayak playing Ajak (described as the “leader” of the Eternals, though that’s not strictly the role the character played in the comics), Kumail Najiani as swordsman Kingo, Bryan Tyree Henry playing weapon-maker Phastos, and Lia McHugh playing Sprite.

Lauren Ridloff will be playing Makkari, the speedy Eternal, with Marvel explaining that she’ll be the first deaf hero in the MCU. On top of that, South Korean actor Ma Dong-seok (from Train To Busan) will be making his North American film debut as the villain Gilgamesh—which is another interesting diversion from the comics, hinting that Kirby’s original Eternals villains, The Deviants, won’t be the big bad guys here. Also: No sign of Millie Bobby Brown yet.