Marvel's Eternals finally dropped a teaser trailer for the much-anticipated movie, and of course, fans are already devouring every frame of it. This entry into the MCU is an interesting one, because it follows an entirely new set of characters that are (seemingly) unconnected from anything else the MCU has done so far. The Eternals are a group of ancient, immortal aliens who have been living secretly on Earth for thousands of years, until they are forced out of hiding in order to defeat a new ancient enemy: the Deviants.

This storyline and these characters are a lot grander than the typical MCU fare, so it will be really interesting to see what the overall feel of this movie will end up being. The trailer gives some clues as to what the tone and the look of the movie will be, but more than anything, it confirmed that director Chloé Zhao is going to be bringing her own very specific style to this MCU entry, which might make it stand out from the MCU films of the past.

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Zhao has had a big year, with the release and subsequent Oscar wins for her film Nomadland. Zhao was awarded Best Director, and Nomadland ended up taking home the biggest win of the night for Best Picture, further cementing Zhao's artistic abilities. It's actually worked out quite well for her that Eternals is releasing so soon after the Nomadland hype, while she's still one of the most talked-about directors in Hollywood. Because of her accolades she now has the trust of the movie-going audience that Eternals will be something special and will have her directorial touch on it. It's a fair assumption to make, especially given the trailer, but it might also put some lofty expectations on the film that it may not be able to meet.

marvel eternals teaser

Nomadland was nominated for Best Cinematography, and has some truly stunning visuals, especially in regards to the wide landscape shots. Zhao is really good at balancing a sense of grandeur (with sweeping shots) with an intimate, character-driven story. Nomadland is fundamentally about people and their relationships with each other, and Chloé Zhao's direction is able to make the humans seem quite small in comparison to the vastness of the natural landscapes around them. This sense is something that she will hopefully be able to bring to Eternals.

The Eternals teaser only showed small snippets of the film, and it already seems as though this film is going to excel in the visual department. Obviously, a Marvel movie about immortal superheroes is going to be much bigger than a quiet film about nomads, but it seems as through Zhao's particular style is really going to shine through and ground the story of Eternals. Yes, it's about a race of ancient beings who hold incredible power, but Zhao will be able to make the story feel incredibly human, so that the audience is able to connect to the Eternals. Again, she's very good at having a mix of grandness with intimacy, which is the exact balance that Eternals will have to hit in order to be successful, and to feel like something new and different for the MCU.

Because the Eternals are immortal alien beings, they need to have a sense of etherealness around them, while also being human enough that the audience can relate to them, and this is a mix that Chloé Zhao should have no problem finding. She's talented, and she really has a sense for what connects people in this universe, despite differences, which is going to be key to making the Eternals into characters that the audience is able to root for.

Though we haven't seen much of the movie yet, it's fairly safe to assume that Zhao is going to do something special with this MCU entry. It's important to also recognize, of course, that having these lofty expectations might mean that the film won't live up to them completely, which is also entirely possible - this is a Marvel movie, after all. Though most MCU films range from decent to good to a few standouts that have been deemed amazing, you kind of know what you're going to get when you walk into the theatre and the movie starts playing.

We can't expect the movie to necessarily feel like an Oscar movie; it will likely still hit all the beats of the typical Marvel movie and and probably won't feel insanely different from what we've seen in the past. However, judging by Zhao's past work, and knowing that she is bringing her own really unique vision to the MCU (and the fact that Kevin Feige claims that Zhao's pitch for Eternals was one of the best he's ever heard), it's safe to assume that Eternals is going to be something fresh for the franchise, and might be able to ride the line between something really entertaining to watch and something that is beautiful and poignant. It will be a great way to kick off Phase 4 on the big screen (after Black Widow comes out), as it introduces the audience to new characters and expands the Marvel universe once again.

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