Directed by Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao ("Nomadland"), the "Eternals" features an immortal race of powerful beings who had remained incognito among humans — until they're called on to protect Earth from their evil counterparts, the Deviants. The film features Marvel's first openly gay family along with same-sex kissing scenes that led to its ban in the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.
Unprecedented diversity — and a contentious kiss
"Eternals" feature numerous people of color, and the first deaf superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some are also gay, including Phastos, played by Brian Tyree Henry (left), who is married to Ben — portrayed by Lebanese actor Haaz Sleiman (right) — with whom he has a son. The two also share an onscreen kiss that helped trigger the film's Gulf ban, and an M18 certificate in Singapore.
Hit by review bombers
In fact, the kiss featuring Phastos (pictured) also ignited a slew of "review bombing" on online film and TV database "IMDB," that saw the site being forced to deactivate the review section after being flooded with hundreds of single-star reviews earlier this week — only a few days before to the film began its general screening in cinemas.
"Too woke"
One of the main criticisms hurled against the film is that it is "too woke." According to news website "Insider," review bombing — when a movie, TV show or videogame is negatively reviewed before release by people who want to impact its ratings online — is especially notable with films featuring diversity such as "Star Wars The Last Jedi" and "Captain Marvel."
A new sign language
Among the film's many diversity firsts, Lauren Ridloff is the first deaf actor to play a Marvel superhero. In an interview with "TechRadar" she revealed how she helped to create a completely new sign language specifically for her character, Makkari. She said that it was invented so that she could sign the names of her fellow Eternals that don't exist in American Sign Language (ASL).
Gemma Chan returns to the Marvel Universe
British-Asian actor Gemma Chan — seen here with co-star Richard Madden, who plays her Eternals love interest, Ikaris — plays the main role of Sersi, an Eternal who works at a museum in London. This is her second foray into the Marvel Universe after "Captain Marvel." She was also part of the all-Asian cast for 2018's "Crazy Rich Asians," where she played the kindhearted socialite, Astrid.
Marvel's first South Asian hero
Meanwhile, Pakistani-American actor Kumail Nanjiani portrays Kingo — the first South Asian hero in a Marvel film. The character blends in on Earth by becoming a popular Bollywood film star. The film even features a Bollywood dance scene.
No stranger to action roles
Having already made a name for herself in other action roles such as Lara Croft in the "Tomb Raider" films, Angelina Jolie's role as the acrobatic Thena appears custom-made. Nonetheless, the actor still prepared for her role by undergoing ballet training to execute her graceful movements. She also taught herself to use various weapons.
When age is just a number
When Marvel contacted Mexican-born Salma Hayek about a potential project, she was initially hesitant. When she heard that Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao would be helming it, she immediately said yes. "Imagine in your 50s you get a call from this director that you're crazy about, who says, 'You're going to be a superhero'," she told "EW." She plays Ajak, the wise and spiritual leader of the Eternals.
