Eternals director Chloé Zhao says Gemma Chan's character will make you "rethink what it means to be heroic"

Marvel's Eternals
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Eternals director Chloé Zhao has spoken about Gemma Chan's character, Sersi, who Kevin Feige previously described as the movie's lead.

"It has always been a passion for me to create a nuanced female superhero that is rarely seen in this genre," Zhao told Vogue UK as part of the publication's recent profile on Chan. "Gemma was very interested in this idea as well and took on the challenge. She brought a beautiful sense of gentleness, compassion and vulnerability to Sersi that I believe will invite viewers to rethink what it means to be heroic."

Eternals follows a group of ancient aliens who’ve been living secretly on earth for millennia, as well as introducing a new threat: The Deviants. In true Marvel fashion, we don't know a lot about the movie's plot, but we're expecting big things – Zhao has previously said that she considered how Eternals could go "further and bigger" than Avengers: Endgame when making the movie.

"[Sersi is] not necessarily the best fighter, she doesn’t have the most obviously impressive powers," Chan added. "The main thing is she’s an empath. She has a connection with humans, and with the world and the earth. That is her strength, so I leant into that."

Alongside Chan, the upcoming Marvel extravaganza boasts an all-star ensemble cast, including Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, and Kit Harington.

Eternals is set to arrive in theaters on November 5. In the meantime, make sure you're up to date with the MCU with our guide to Marvel Phase 4.

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

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