Richard Madden of Bodyguard and Game of Thrones fame has entered talks to join The Eternals, Marvel Studios’ latest galactic adventure and a key building block in the MCU Phase 4.
TheWrap has the scoop, confirming that Madden is on the verge of joining Angelina Jolie and Kumail Nanjiani in the big-budget space opera. No further details were disclosed at the time of writing, but there’s a very good chance that Madden, whose stock has doubled ever since he toplined Bodyguard for the BBC, is attached to the role of Ikaris (or Hercules!), which would place him smack bang in the middle of the film’s plot.
What we do know for sure is that filmmaker Chloe Zhao is behind the lens and will direct from a script produced by Matthew and Ryan Firpo. The pic itself is based on the famous Jack Kirby comic, in which The Eternals are created by a group of ancient beings known as the Celestials.
Per TheWrap:
Celestials accelerated the evolution of a handful of subjects and gave them the genetic potential to mentally manipulate limited quantities of cosmic energy, as well as other superhuman traits.
Story-wise, Marve’s Eternals movie is set to revolve around a being called Sersi – no, not that one – with Angelina Jolie reportedly in talks to take the helm. Providing all the necessary pieces fall into place, and Marvel Studios is able to wrap up casting by the summer, there’s every chance The Eternals could begin filming before the year’s end, as Kevin Feige and Co. look to future-proof the MCU in a post-Endgame world.
The Eternals is yet to nail down an official release date – and is unlikely to do so until Spider-Man: Far From Home draws the curtain on Phase 3 this summer – but it’ll likely open sometime in 2021, following new standalone movies for Doctor Strange and Black Widow.