Marvel’s $402 Million Box Office Bomb Finally Explained By Director 5 Years Later

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Following the success of Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios seemed unstoppable, but the past few years of the Multiverse Saga have been more challenging. Unlike the consistently popular movies of the 2010s, not every recent Marvel project has connected with viewers. Eternals is a good example – while some people enjoyed it, it was the first MCU film to receive a negative score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and didn’t perform well in theaters, even considering the difficulties of moviegoing right after the pandemic. This year marks the fifth anniversary of Eternals’ release, and director Chloé Zhao has been looking back on her experience with the film.

In an interview on the Awards Chatter podcast, director Chloé Zhao revealed that Marvel Studios wasn’t initially focused on making Eternals. She explained that the film wasn’t a top priority because of its unusual story and that it was only considered as a possible project. According to Zhao, Marvel typically finds a director they like first, and then decides which story to tell with them.

Chloé Zhao recounted that Kevin Feige told her, “You made that film entirely on your own initiative. No one asked you to, and honestly, no one thought anyone would want to see it, but you were determined to do it.” Feige chose Zhao to direct Eternals because he saw her genuine enthusiasm for the project.

The Eternals Likely Won’t Have a Future in the MCU

There was a lot of anticipation for the release of Eternals. Director Chloé Zhao had just won an Oscar for Nomadland, and the film introduced a brand new group of superheroes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel had successfully turned lesser-known comic book characters into popular figures – Guardians of the Galaxy is a prime example – so many hoped Eternals would be the next big franchise. Ultimately, while some admired Zhao’s vision, most viewers felt the film didn’t quite live up to its potential.

Because Eternals received mixed reviews and didn’t perform well in theaters, a sequel wasn’t considered a priority, even though the movie hinted at future stories with characters like Black Knight and Eros. Considering director Chloé Zhao’s recent comments about the film, it’s not surprising a sequel never happened – she seemed to be the only one at Marvel who was truly invested in continuing the story. It appears Marvel never intended Eternals to be a major focus within the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the film’s poor reception made it hard to justify further investment in that storyline.

Marvel’s current saga, the Multiverse Saga, is wrapping up with the release of Avengers: Doomsday later this year. The movie aims to tie together many storylines from past Marvel films, but so far, none of the actors from Eternals are confirmed to appear in either Doomsday or the upcoming Secret Wars. While the Eternals could be valuable allies against a villain like Doctor Doom, it seems unlikely they’ll be included. Marvel is hoping Doomsday will revitalize the franchise and is focusing on familiar characters and elements to build excitement. Adding the Eternals would simply make an already large cast even bigger.

The upcoming Secret Wars event will essentially refresh the Marvel Cinematic Universe, simplifying the storyline as the franchise enters a new phase. While not a complete reboot, some elements will carry over, but the Eternals likely won’t be among them. Marvel is using this reset to move past storylines and characters that didn’t resonate with audiences, and unfortunately, the Eternals seem to be part of that. It’s a disappointing outcome for a property that had so much potential – Kumail Nanjiani, for example, signed a deal anticipating multiple sequels and even theme park rides – but Marvel at least took a risk by trusting director Chloé Zhao’s vision. It just didn’t pan out, and that’s often how things go in the entertainment industry.

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2026-01-30 18:12