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Marvel gets first woman of color director for The Eternals

Marvel gets first woman of color director for The Eternals

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From acclaimed indie films to superhero movies

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Image: Marvel

The Eternals, a tale of cosmic beings created by Jack Kirby in the 1970s, now has a director: Chloé Zhao, a Chinese filmmaker who is known for working on indie projects, says The Hollywood Reporter. It will mark the first time that a woman of color has directed a film for the superhero studio, which has largely relied on white men to helm its films.

The Eternals is a comic about an Earth with two races that eventually led to mutants. Eternals can live for a long time, yet they are not immortal, and they use their talents and advanced technology to protect humanity. With Avengers 4 coming next year, the studio is looking ahead to what comes next for the franchise. Earlier this year, Marvel Studio head Kevin Feige said that The Eternals was “one of many many many things that we are actively beginning to have creative discussions about,” when it came to the post-Avengers phase of the franchise.

In general, this marks a shift for Marvel, which has appointed a woman to direct Black Widow, and it will finally get its first woman-led superhero movie with 2019’s Captain Marvel, played by Brie Larson. Zhao filmography includes movies such as Songs My Brothers Taught Me as well as The Rider, which was nominated for a number of indie awards.