MCU Head Reveals Gemma Chan’s Sersi Is The Lead In Eternals

Sersi is the lead character in the upcoming Marvel Studios’ Eternals. The Eternals were first introduced back in 1976 in the pages of Marvel Comics by Jack Kirby.

Marvel Studios has announced they would be developing a film based on the characters in 2018 as part of Phase 4. However, no specific date was announced, but after a year-long delay, Eternals is set to arrive in theaters on November 5, 2021.

The movie will be directed by none other than, Chloe Zhao, who recently won an Oscar creating history. It will be featuring an all-star cast including Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Salma Hayek, Lia McHugh, Don Lee, Barry Keoghan, and Kit Harington. But the most surprising and epic name in the cast would be Gemma Chan as the character Sersi.

Gemma has previously played Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel and is one of a small group of actors to play various characters in the MCU. Kevin Feige commented on the film’s large ensemble in a recent interview. He shared that if any character had to be considered the lead, it would have been Gemma. The revelation of the lead character was a part of the wider discussion the Marvel Studios President had about casting. He also talked about how the film went about looking for actors to play the Eternals and being open to changing characters’ gender in a way to go after the best people for the roles.  

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“…we looked at and read all sorts of women for that part..”

Kevin said, “There were some characters that we change from male to female, there were some characters that we knew how we were altering them from the books. But then also it came down to casting. So for Sersi, for instance;— and if there was a lead in this ensemble; it is Sersi, it is Gemma Chan — we looked at and read all sorts of women for that part. And ended up really believing that Gemma was best for it. And thankfully, she’s proven that to be the case in the final movie.”

The character of Sersi being the lead makes some sense. Sersi was first introduced in The Eternals #3 in 1976 and she has become one of the most well-known members of the group. This is after she joins The Avengers in the 1990s. The character also interacts with humans unlike other Eternals as she even fell in love with one, Dane Whitman a.k.a. The Black Knight.

And the role of The Black Knight is played by Kit Harington in the upcoming movie. However, Sersi being the lead raises a few questions about both her place and her fellow Eternals in the wider MCU. As she is the lead, there is a possibility of her cross-over in other MCU projects in the future.

For instance, she could appear in The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3., Thor: Love and Thunder, or Captain Marvel 2. She could also be a new member of The Avengers in the upcoming Avenger movie. Even if it is unclear where the Eternals will be fitting in the wider perspective; the backstory of the franchise is sure to excite fans. This is because of their involvement in Celestials and their ties to Thanos.  

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