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 GamesRadar+, 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. 

Read more
Gemma Chan in Eternals
Eternals star Gemma Chan is hopeful she'll return to the MCU someday: "There's unfinished business there"
Eternals
Marvel fans are sharing their favorite parts of one of the MCU's most unpopular movies
Ms. Marvel and Captain America Steve Rogers side by side
Ms. Marvel actor Iman Vellani got so into Captain America: Civil War that she "lost friends" over "people being Team Cap"
Captain America: Brave New World trailer
Marvel boss Kevin Feige hopes Captain America: Brave New World leads to "full acceptance" of Anthony Mackie's new hero
Lois Lane looking over her shoulder
Superman star Rachel Brosnahan reveals how James Gunn's DC movie is "so true to the comics"
The Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four's Julia Garner has perfect response to whether Silver Surfer will be live-action or CGI in the upcoming Marvel movie
Latest in Superhero Movies
Ben Affleck in Zack Snyder's Justice League
Ben Affleck reflects on the "excruciating experience" playing Batman in the Zack Snyder movies: "A lot of it was misalignment of agendas, understandings, expectations"
James Gunn
James Gunn reacts to Jason Momoa almost spoiling his Lobo costume in an interview: "I just want to profoundly thank Jason’s publicist"
Peter Dinklage as Toxie in The Toxic Avenger
The first trailer for Peter Dinklage's long awaited Toxic Avenger reboot movie channels all the raunchy weirdness of the '80s original
Hot Fuzz
The 35 greatest 2000s action movies
Captain America: Brave New World
Giancarlo Esposito confirms he was originally set to play Marvel's King Cobra in Captain America: Brave New World: "It was a bit of a whirlwind"
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame
The Russo brothers hope that Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are a "new beginning" for the MCU
Latest in News
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Assassin's Creed Shadows is shown running on a Nintendo 3DS in an impressive bit of fan homebrew
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again has pulled another scene straight from the comics – and it's one of the darkest moments yet
Mario racing on a desert track during the Switch 2 reveal trailer.
Porting Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to the Nintendo Switch was "kind of an afterthought," and now it's so popular that getting fans to switch could be a challenge
Nick Frost in Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead star Nick Frost is playing one of the most beloved Harry Potter characters for the new HBO TV show
The Witcher 4 screenshot with Ciri using sword and sorcery to fight an ancient monster
The Witcher 4 and Naughty Dog's Intergalactic are reportedly skipping 2026 and won't be ready until at least the year after
Lunar Remastered Collection
"Will today’s players still enjoy a game from 30 years ago?": JRPG icon Kei Shigema says he was thrilled to see Lunar getting a remaster even after all this time