Every now and then since the Marvel Cinematic Universe started, there have been instances where an actor who played a character in one of the franchise’s movies goes on to play a different character in a TV show, and vice-versa. For example, Mahershala Ali played Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes on Netflix’s Luke Cage, and now he’s been hired to play Blade on the big screen.
It’s quite rare, however, to see an actor in the MCU play two different roles within only the movies, but that scenario might be in play for The Eternals, as Captain Marvel’s Gemma Chan is being eyed to join that cosmic tale.
According to Variety, Gemma Chan, who previously appeared as Starforce member Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel, is in talks to star in The Eternals. What’s unclear is whether she would be reprising Minn-Erva or appearing as someone brand-new to the MCU. Some of the outlet’s sources believe it’s the latter option.
Furthermore, The Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit has heard that Sersi, one of the most important characters in the Eternals mythology, is appearing in the movie as the “ostensible lead.” That said, it remains to be seen if this is the role Gemma Chan is being eyed for, but if it is, then this would be a major career triumph for her.
Outside of the MCU, Gemma Chan’s notable credits include movies like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Crazy Rich Asians and Mary Queen of Scotts, as well as playing Anita/Mia in the AMC series Humans. In Captain Marvel, Chan’s Minn-Erva served as Starforce’s sniper, but she perished when engaging Maria Rambeau in an aerial battle.
That rules out a present-day appearance from Minn-Erva in the MCU, but what about in the past? After all, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said that like their comic book counterparts, the film versions of the Eternals have been around for tens of thousands of years. The problem is that even the Kree aren’t as long-lived as the Eternals, so seeing a millennia-younger Minn-Erva is extremely unlikely.
In any case, assuming Gemma Chan does sign on to The Eternals and play someone new, perhaps this will open the door wider for people who’ve had minor roles in previous MCU movies to shine in starring roles now.
Thus far, The Eternals’ main cast officially consists of Angelina Jolie as Thena, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Lia McHugh as Sprite and Done Lee as Gilgamesh. Dunkirk’s Barry Keoghan has also reportedly signed on, although his character hasn’t been identified. Chloe Zhao is directing the movie, and Matthew and Ryan Firpo wrote the script.
The Eternals is currently filming and set to be released in theaters on November 6, 2020, so keep checking back in with CinemaBlend for more updates on its progress. For now, you can keep track of what other Marvel movies are on the way in our handy guide.