‘Eternals’ Cast Harry Styles as a Hella Problematic Hero

‘Eternals’ Cast Harry Styles as a Hella Problematic Hero — So What’s the Future of Starfox?

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Now that Eternals is streaming on Disney+, can we please talk openly about that wild post-credits scene and what it means for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Harry Styles’s acting career? It’s been two months since the world found out that the most famous musician/heartthrob on Earth was cast as Marvel’s most notorious lothario. Harry Styles is Eros, a.k.a. Starfox, potential Avenger and brother of Thanos. This… is unexpected.

It’s unexpected because of the Harry Styles of it all, sure, but it’s doubly unexpected to Marvel fans because we know who Starfox is. Starfox is, without a doubt, one of the last characters Marvel fans ever thought they’d see on the big screen. Why? Because the character is the definition of problematic — almost irredeemably so! Hell, even the comics have often struggled with how to use ol’ Eros in modern (re: post-1990) times. And now he’s appearing in the MCU? I can’t wait to see how this turns out.

Before we get into Starfox/Eros’s sordid origin, let’s start with what we see in Eternals.

Who is Starfox in Eternals? Who is Eros in Eternals? When does Harry Styles show up in Eternals?

We only see Eros in the mid-credits scene, where he is introduced by his companion Pip the troll (voiced by Patton Oswalt) as the prince of Titan and brother of Thanos. Eros emerges from the shadows, reveals that he looks like Harry Styles, and tells the Eternals that their friends are in danger but he knows how to find them. It’s not a meaty scene, but there’s a lot to unpack here.

Who is Eros in the Marvel Comics?

Eros debuted in Iron Man #55, published in 1972. That same issue, written and illustrated by Jim Starlin, introduced Drax and Thanos as well, thus kicking off the trippy, groovy expansion of Marvel’s cosmic canon that would ultimately lead to 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy movie. For the first decade of his existence, Eros didn’t have much going on. He was always a supporting character, almost always depicted as fighting alongside his father Mentor against whatever stunts Thanos was trying to pull. It was inferred in Eros’ early appearances the his dalliances in ancient Rome inspired the stories of Eros, the Roman god of love. Still, Eros’ promiscuity was never at the forefront of any of these stories.

That all changed in 1983’s Avengers #231 when a new writer, Roger Stern, drafted Eros into the Avengers. Freed from having to share every story with his dad, evil brother, and massively powerful heroes like Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock, Stern was able to give Eros a mischievous, rakish personality that matched his name. And since he was joining the Avengers, Wasp gave him the codename Starfox because he’s a “pretty foxy guy” and he came from the stars.

So here’s the deal: as readers rather quickly learned Starfox was a flirt. A shameless flirt. A nonstop, shameless flirt — and he was on a team with Wasp, She-Hulk, Scarlet Witch, and Monica “Captain Marvel” Rambeau. He flirted with all of them, including other heroes like Tigra.

He also flirted with an EMT to try to get information on a crime scene, and was late to an Avengers meeting because he was having a picnic with a random woman.

Starfox loves love — is that so wrong? Well, being an Avenger is a job and flirting with co-workers — and Wasp was his boss, BTW — is not exactly a wise course of action. But all of this flirtation was reframed in Avengers #237 when Starfox wondered when he should reveal his secret power to the Avengers — if he should reveal it at all!

That power? His pleasure power. Let’s just emphasize that: Starfox has a pleasure power. And yes, he did keep it a secret from the Avengers until issue #250 — nearly 20 issues after he joined as an Avenger-in-training! He just failed to mention to his teammates that every time he was flirting with or even just talking to them, he may or may not have been using his superhuman ability to enhance a person’s pleasure centers, thus making himself sexually irresistible. When Wasp found out about this, she was justifiably creeped out a bit!

To give these 1980s comics the benefit of the doubt, the only times Starfox is explicitly shown using his pleasure power is on bad guys — literally guys — in order to calm them down and make them less murder-y (Avengers #243, #246, #250, etc.). But still… a pleasure power.

Fast forward 20 years and Marvel Comics revisited Starfox’s cringe-inducing powers in an unflinching storyline in 2006’s She-Hulk #6-7. In it, She-Hulk is tasked with defending her old teammate Starfox when he is accused of using his coercive powers to sexually assault a woman. It’s as dark of a story as you can imagine, as it adds new context to Roger Stern’s 1980s Avengers run and looks at it with a modern (for 2006) critical eye.

The story concludes in She-Hulk #13 when it’s revealed that Thanos was responsible for screwing around with his brother’s powers, making him unable to control them and unaware that he was out of control. When this is revealed, Starfox willingly has his powers blocked.

This She-Hulk storyline did something that few supervillains can do: it knocked Eros out of commission for almost a decade. After his appearance in She-Hulk #14, published in December 2006, Eros did not appear in main Marvel continuity outside of a few flashbacks until the publication of Avengers: Rage of Ultron in April 2015. Starfox was just gone for almost 8.5 years. He started appearing regularly again a year later in the pages of Thanos, and most recently popped up in a stretch of issues of 2019’s Guardians of the Galaxy comic. So, Marvel Comics remembers that Starfox exists, but they aren’t exactly using him all that often. But since there are plans to use him in the MCU, comic readers better get ready to see modern writers try to figure out how the hell to use this superhero character responsibly!

What is the future of Starfox in the MCU?

That’s an even bigger question. Clearly Marvel wouldn’t cast Harry Styles and just use him as a post-credits character. He has to show up somewhere, and the fact that he’s Thanos’ brother immediately elevates the character’s status. Every sentient being in the universe knows who Thanos is and probably wouldn’t mind having a word with his brother.

Eros could obviously show up in an Eternals sequel, if one’s in the works. It’s more likely that he and his companion Pip (voiced by Patton Oswalt) will appear in 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. After all, Pip was on a team with Gamora and Drax for a long time in the comics, and Eros adventured around with Adam Warlock (a new character in GOTG3 played by Will Poulter) too.

It’s even possible that Styles could one day assemble on an all-new Avengers team. After all, the 1980s lineup that he was part of is mostly present and accounted for in the MCU: Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), and versions of Wasp (Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne) and Captain America (Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson). And, I dunno, toss in Ant-Man while you’re at it. Hey — it could happen!

The question is: how will the MCU deal with a character whose power is, uh, hypnotic sexiness? The MCU’s already ignored Hank Pym’s incredibly awful comic book history and kept that canon from distracting from the fun, family-friendly Ant-Man series. If they can sidestep Pym’s problems, maybe they can do the same with Starfox? Maybe they just ignore the whole pleasure power thing and let Harry Styles be Harry Styles? After all, looking like and talking like and moving like Harry Styles is a superpower, and it has nothing to do with extraterrestrial brainwash-y coercion.

Is Keanu Reeves actually in Eternals after casting rumours?

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Rumours appeared as early as June 2019 that Keanu Reeves would make his Marvel/MCU debut in The Eternals.

At the time, The Economic Times wrote that “negotiations” were “on”, but that Reeves was “yet to sign on the dotted line”; even earlier, in February 2019, Screen Rant reported that he was a hair’s breadth away from joining the cast of Captain Marvel.

So why, after so many opportunities, is Keanu Reeves yet to star in a Marvel movie?

Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

Is Keanu Reeves feature among the cast of Marvel’s The Eternals?

No. Although several outlets reported in June 2019 that Reeves, known for playing Neo in The Matrix films and starring in the John Wick series, was in talks to appear in The Eternals, he never actually did.

Citing MCU Cosmic, one outlet wrote that “negotiations” were “underway”, but that “talks” were “still in the early stages”.

The cast was already star-studded: Angelina Jolie would play Sersi (things changed – she actually plays Thena; Gemma Chan plays Sersi); Richard Madden was set to play Ikaris (he does); and Kumail Nanjiani and Ma Dong-seok were already cast (they play Kingo and Gilgamesh, respectively).

Ever since rumours emerged that Keanu Reeves might play Doctor Strange, or even Captain Marvel, fans have been on the edge of their seats to see the Matrix star join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel Studios’ Eternals | Final Trailer BridTV 4344 Marvel Studios’ Eternals | Final Trailer https://i.ytimg.com/vi/x_me3xsvDgk/hqdefault.jpg 847972 847972 center 13872

What happened to prevent him playing Yon-Rogg in Captain Marvel?

Before the Keanu Reeves/The Eternals rumours even came about, Screen Rant had reported that he “almost joined the cast” of Captain Marvel.

In the end, Jude Law got the role. He played Yon-Rogg, a Kree Empire commander and leader of Starforce. Yon-Rogg is one of Captain Marvel’s earliest villains in the comics.

But Keanu Reeves couldn’t take on the role as Marvel Studios’ production schedule clashed with that of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

For those who follow the series, the release date of John Wick 4 will now be March 24, 2023. Lionsgate revealed the new date in a YouTube video just before Christmas.

Photo by Sam Santos/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures Canada

From 2014 to 2021 – what has Keanu Reeves said about joining MCU?

Over seven years ago now, in October 2014, Collider talked with Reeves about the possibility of him playing Doctor Strange.

“I like the idea,” he said. “I go to those kinds of movies. I grew up on them and comics and graphic novels. [But]”, he went on, “I didn’t know Doctor Strange as a character, I didn’t read that as a kid.”

Next day, Screen Rant suggested – to his face, no less – that Keanu Reeves was the best person to play Doctor Strange.

(The movie, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, came out in 2016.)

Reeves responded, “I don’t know a lot about Doctor Strange”, but that he likes “that kind of stuff”. Hardly a conversation to write home about, but the idea took hold.

This content could not be loaded why we love Keanu Reeves: pic.twitter.com/bHuLkii0u8 — Keanu the legend (@legendarykeanu) January 12, 2022

How does he feel about it now?

In a November 2021 episode of Esquire’s YouTube series, Reeves described the MCU as “bigger than a universe”.

“It’s almost like a Multiverse. It’s a Marvel-verse.”

And would he like to join the franchise?

“You know, it would be an honour. There’s some really amazing directors and visionaries. They’re doing something no one’s really ever done. It’s special in that sense in terms of the scale, the ambition, the production, so it would be cool to be a part of that.”

And finally, in February 2021, Esquire reported that Reeves had been offered the role of Kraven the Hunter in a standalone SUMC movie. But, as it stands, IMDB lists Aaron Taylor-Johnson as playing the character, with the movie set to come out in 2023.

SUMC, or Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, is different from the MCU, although no one seems to know exactly how – as yet, Keanu Reeves is in neither.

‘Eternals’: Watch Harry Styles, Angelina Jolie and Cast in Hilarious Outtakes (Exclusive)

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There’s more Marvel’s Eternals to enjoy!

After taking the world by storm and enchanting viewers with its spectacular star-studded cast, the superhero flick is making its debut on all major digital platforms on Jan. 12. Before it becomes available, ET has an exclusive clip filled with hilarious outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage featuring Harry Styles, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek and more.

This gag reel shows the cast flubbing their lines, having laughing attacks, missing their mark, and Richard Madden overeating Twinkies in the backseat of a car. What fans will enjoy is seeing their favorite stars, including Styles, break out in dance while on the celestial set. Check out the “Watermelon Sugar” singer bust out his moves near the 0:36 mark, as well as Jolie, Gemma Chan, Don Lee, Kumail Nanjiani and more, in the video above.

Gemma Chan Jokes About ‘Eternals’ Love Triangle With ‘GoT’ Alums Kit Harington and Richard Madden (Exclusive) This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page. Gemma Chan Jokes About ‘Eternals’ Love Triangle With ‘GoT’ Alums Kit Harington and Richard Madden (Exclusive)

Eternals, which was released in November, picks up after half the population returns in Avengers: Endgame. It follows a group of ancient heroes from beyond the stars who had protected Earth since the dawn of man. When the monstrous creatures Deviants return after thought long gone, the Eternals are forced to reunite and fight to defend humanity.

The film, directed by Chloé Zhao, left viewers satisfied and excited for what’s to come in the next phase of the MCU. Of course the movie’s post-credits only intensified their desire to know more.

Marvel Studios’ Eternals debuts on all major digital platforms Jan. 12 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on Feb. 15.

For more on the future of Eternals, see below.

Marvel Boss Kevin Feige Teases Harry Styles’ MCU Future After ‘Eternals’ Cameo (Exclusive) This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

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Eternals’ Hottest Romance Is Druig and Makkari

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Photo: Marvel Studios/Courtesy of Marvel Studios

With Oscar winner Chloé Zhao at the helm and a new cosmic mythos for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, along with grand practical effects and a cast of diverse superheroes, Eternals should have been unlike any MCU story before it. And so should have the centuries-spanning romance at its heart between Ikaris (Richard Madden) and Sersi (Gemma Chan). But as the rest of the film turned out to be mostly pretty on the surface but emotionally inert, these two immortal beings’ supposedly sweeping romance did, too.

The MCU is no stranger to couplings that range from “aw” to “ehh” to completely forgettable. (I still cringe at whatever Marvel was trying to do with Sharon Carter and Steve Rogers’s short-lived fling.) But Ikaris and Sersi’s relationship achieves a new level of sexless, doll-like faux intimacy for the franchise — truly something, considering the pair star in the MCU’s first-ever sex scene.

Out of Eternals’ ten heroes, the plot most closely follows Chan’s Sersi, a manipulator of matter who loves Earth, iPhones, and her fellow Eternal Ikaris. Sersi and Ikaris’s special moments together across time play out in a highlight reel — professing their love, marrying, breaking up (inexplicably, Ikaris just sort of leaves), then reuniting. In the present day, after her breakup from Ikaris, Sersi dates Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman, a (not so) seemingly ordinary human with whom she shares some cute moments. But the film clearly wants us to invest in Sersi and Ikaris, especially once he reenters her life, creating a tensionless love triangle of sorts. Chan and Madden are fine actors, but they seem bored by each other’s presence. And what’s the point of pairing two beautiful romantic leads when they’re as emotive as chiseled stone?

All the while, Barry Keoghan’s character Druig and Lauren Ridloff’s Makkari spend Eternals endlessly flirting in the fringes of the plot, igniting the hottest chemistry ever seen in the MCU. After thousands of years apart, Druig and Makkari melt into each other with such envious ease that Ikaris and Sersi’s reunion feels all the more stifled by comparison. The latter couple may get a ten-second missionary-sex scene on the beach, but when Keoghan’s Druig says, “My beautiful, beautiful Makkari”? That’s when I began to feel unwell.

Who knew Keoghan was this smooth? He’s always played such weirdos — the creepy, pasta-eating teen in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, the little thief who drives Dev Patel to tears in The Green Knight — that I guess I never noticed. So thank you, Chloé Zhao, for opening my eyes and for personally ensuring that his bangs never budged from his forehead. Keoghan’s energy paired with Ridloff’s kinetic charm is just so thrilling. Their stolen glances, their little shoulder punches and smiles; the matching leather jackets they wear in a mid-credits scene; even the way they rest their foreheads together is so emotionally charged, they don’t need to say a word. Their eyes just spill affection.

Imagine if Eternals had centered their relationship, or literally anyone’s apart from Sersi and Ikaris’s. Gilgamesh (Don Lee) and Thena (Angelina Jolie) share an intimacy more intense than theirs, and they never even kiss. Hell, even the hilarious rapport between Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo and Harish Patel as Karun is more magnetic.

So much of Eternals hinges on Sersi and her competing feelings for earthlings and for Ikaris. Yet when a devastated Ikaris flings himself into the sun at the end of the movie, the moment feels empty enough that not even Sersi seems to care much. But I’m relieved that their dim romance sorted itself out, to be honest. All one can hope is that it paves the way for a more passionate relationship between Chan and Harington’s Dane Whitman — and more importantly, more time for Druig and Makkari.

Eternals Disney Plus: Marvel fans criticise Bill Skarsgard Kro role as ‘baffling waste’

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Marvel fans are only just discovering that a certain actor was in Eternals.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) release was first unveiled in cinemas in November, but was added to streaming service Disney Plus on Wednesday (12 January).

To mark its addition to the service, the film’s blooper reel has been shared online.

One moment in the outtakes shows Bill Skarsgård dancing around while filming a scene as Kro, a character who went on to be depicted on screen using CGI.

It’s because of this that a lot of Marvel fans didn’t realise that Skarsgård was in the film, which has led to people calling the casting a “waste” of the actor’s talents. Skarsgård’s voice can be heard in the film.

“I’m still shocked to find out that he was in this movie,” one Marvel fan said, with another adding: “Most wasted actor ever seen in the MCU. Hope he gets another shot.”

One Marvel fan said that the actor “deserved better” than to be cast as a character who doesn’t get their name mentioned in the film.

“Honestly, the use of this character was the most baffling I’ve seen in a long time,” another fan stated.

Eternals introduces a new set of characters to the MCU – a race of immortal beings with superhuman powers who have secretly lived on Earth for thousands of years.

Leading the cast are Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Lauren Ridloff, Kumail Nanjiani, Barry Keoghan and Brian Tyree Henry. The film is directed by Nomadland’s Chloé Zhao.