The Eternals landed on the MCU last year, and although the movie’s performance was underwhelming by Disney’s standards, it seems like Marvel Studios is ready to double down with a sequel that may have been accidentally leaked by Patton Oswalt.
Oswalt and Harry Styles showed for unexpected mid-credits cameos in Eternals, playing Pip the Troll and Starfox, respectively, however, no word had been heard from the studio on when these characters could appear next. Nevertheless, after Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con presentation, it became clear that the MCU’s Phase Six has at least 8 open slots that could be allocated to new shows and movies, which is precisely where Eternals 2 might come in.
During an interview on NBC’s Today show meant to promote the actor's latest film (via Culture Crave), I Love My Dad, Oswalt’s tongue may have slipped when he stated an Eternals sequel had already been announced with Chloe Zhao returning as director, something that was in no way addressed by Marvel Studios at Comic-Con. Given where Eternals left off and the importance of more cosmic superheroes and characters like Pip the Troll and Starfox, Eternals 2 would be hardly unsurprising.
It remains to be seen if Oswalt will hear from the so-called Marvel police anytime soon due to this Freudian slip, as no studio representatives have addressed this supposed leak, though She-Hulk director Kat Coiro is well aware of their existence when discussing Daredevil spoilers. Marvel chief Kevin Feige has teased the cosmic return of Styles and Oswalt, yet whether that will be in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 or something else is unknown.
Eternals is currently ranked as one of the MCU’s worst earners, raking in $402m, just above Black Widow which had to deal with a dual streaming release, while also not doing much better with fans and critics. Curiously enough, the balance between Zhao's cinematography and the MCU’s now established formula is what many believe to be at the heart of the film’s disappointment, as well as having to explore so many characters at once.
If Eternals 2 is indeed a guarantee, like Oswalt has suggested, it would be an opportunity for Zhao to nail down the superhero blockbuster in her own style. Regardless of that, fans will first get to see Eternals’ Dane Whitman pair up with Blade when the vampire hunter returns in 2023.
Source: today.com