‘The Eternals’ Casting Breakdown Reveals Which Characters Will Appear
Set to release before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 are a new set of characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Jack Kirby’s The Eternals, who will greatly expand upon the mythology of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s history by going further back in time then we’ve ever seen.
That Hashtag Show has apparently received the scoop on the casting descriptions for 12(!) major characters that will appear in the film, 10 of which they have a good idea of what Marvel is specifically looking for. We’ll start out with the 2 roles for unidentified characters:
- Karen: “Powerful, a timeless quality, a leader. Warm, nurturing and intuitive… AKA she can kick ass but have warmth. Should have an international, timeless feel.” Marvel are looking primarily for Native American, Middle-Eastern, and African actresses for this part, which appears to be top billing. It should go without saying that “Karen” is a code name for this character, as there is not a character named Karen associated with the Eternals themselves. THS have later speculated that this character could be the MCU’s version of Moondragon, who is not related to the Eternals in the comics.
- Male Lead: “A Greek God.” THS speculates that this character could possibly be Hercules, who is not traditionally related to the Eternals, but shares their home on Earth in the form of the city of Olympia. However, they’re not nearly as sure on this point as the others.
And now, the main cast of the film that THS have a pretty good idea about:
- Druig: “Druig possesses the conventional abilities of an Eternal, he can manipulate all forms of matter and energy, including the atoms of his own body. He can teleport, manipulate gravitation in order to fly, control the minds of others, and project energy from his body, usually from the hands or eyes.” A sadist, Druig is known for his love of torture, although it’s not clear how this will factor into this story.
- Sprite: Though codenamed as “Piper”, this characer is described as having a “Strong, charismatic presence with a magnetic personality. Wise beyond her years, articulate and quick-witted. Natural acting ability and some type of athletic background a plus.” THS believes that “Piper” will be a gender-flipped version of Sprite, who is male in the comics; Sprite is described as being a prankster, with the abilities of creating illusions and rearranging objects at a molecular structure.
- Elysius: “Marvel is looking for an actress, 20-40, for the surprising role of Elysius.” Elysius is an artificially-created being made by the computer known as I.S.A.A.C. who can control griffin-like creatures with her mind. In the comics, Elysius fathers the children of Mar-Vell (who had the title of Captain Marvel before Carol Danvers did), who she names Genis-Vell (Photon) and Phyla-Vell (Quasar). Elysius and her children may prove to be important for the future of Marvel’s cosmic setting.
- The Forgotten One: “The studio is looking for a male, ages 25-45, to play the Forgotten One.” Also known as Gilgamesh, the same hero from the ancient legend. In the comics, he spent time as an outcast from the other Eternals, choosing to return only when he was needed. This character is an expert in hand-to-hand combat and is proficient with melee weapons.
- Ikaris: “The studio is looking for a male, 20-40.” Ikaris has an unparalleled level of control over cosmic energy in exchange for low-level psychic abilities. In his past, he was able to save many of the Earth’s species by leading them into an Ark when a cataclysmic war destroyed much of the ancient world. His name is derived from Icarus, the Greek legend.
- Makkari: “The studio is once again on the lookout for a male, 25-45… Makkari is a member of the Eternals Technologist’s Guild and is skilled at designing and building high-speed vehicles.” His name is derived from Mercury, the Roman God of Travel.
- Sersi: “For the role of Sersi, the studio is looking for a female, 20-40.” Gifted with the powers of molecular manipulation, Sersi sets herself apart from the Eternals in that she’s interested in living among humanity, which is likely a reason why she could be a focal point of the movie’s story. Her name is derived from Circe, the witch who played an important role in Homer’s Odyssey.
- Starfox: “The studio is looking for a male, 25-45, to play Eros of Titan.” A hedonistic, carefree adventurer who can fly at sub-sonic speed and is capable of surviving underwater and in space thanks to his ability to hold his breath. Starfox is also capable of stimulating other people’s brains in order to persuade them to do what he wants. Oh, and he happens to be the younger brother of Thanos. (Yes, that Thanos.)
- Thena: “An actress 20-40 is being sought for the role of Thena.” Thena has a wealth of abilities beyond her signature ability to become invulnerable, as she also is able to “project cosmic energy from her eyes or hands in the form of heat, light, or concussive force and possibly other powers”, in addition to having the gifts of flight and teleportation, molecular control, and the ability to cast illusions, among many others. Her name is derived from Athena, the Greek Goddess of Warfare.
- Zuras: While an age-range for this character is not listed, there is a list of his many powers: “Zuras possesses the ability to manipulate cosmic energy to augment his life force granting him great longevity and regenerative abilities, the projection of concussive force, heat and electrical energy up to a maximum range of 300 feet. He could also use cosmic energy to create force shields around himself, to levitate himself and/or others, and to psionically manipulate molecules so as to transform an object’s shape.” As the leaders of the Eternals on Earth, he is knowledgeable with arcane knowledge from the beginning of his species and what came afterward. His name is derived from Zeus, the Greek God of the Sky.
A common thread is that a number of these characters either share names with, or possibly even are, characters from Greek and Roman mythology. Worth noting is that all of these roles appear to be open to actors and actresses of all ethnicities, so in all likelihood, The Eternals may feature the most ethnically-diverse cast of characters in a Marvel movie to date. Curiously, the Deviants, who are traditionally the enemies of the Eternals, are nowhere to be found in this casting list.
The Eternals is currently in development at Marvel Studios and is currently without a release date. Production is set to begin in the middle of next year.
Grant Davis is a freelance writer who has covered entertainment news for more than seven years. His articles have frequently appeared in Star Wars News Net as well as as other entertainment-related websites. As someone who grew up on Star Wars and comic book movies, he’s completely thrilled with the current era of genre entertainment.
