'Eternals' Director Explains Why Marvel Thought the Original Ending Was Too Depressing

Eternals director Chloé Zhao has divulged that her original ending to the Marvel Studios film was too “bleak” for the audiences.

Zhao recently spoke to Empire about her directorial decisions for the film and how she felt about what the critics had to say about the film and the positive audience response. While the film garnered mixed reviews, it is safe to say that the film is unlike any other Marvel superhero film to date. When asked about whether or not the ending of the film was true to what Zhao expected, the director said,

“No. I have never made a film where the ending is what I wrote! You find it in the edit. Editing is a third of the filmmaking process, and when you show it to people, that’s when you find the ending. I don’t think I’ve made a single film where the opening and ending stay the same as the script, just because the scenes are fluid as we shoot.

And we actually had another ending that is really bleak. Bleak. I didn’t hate it, because I’m used to films that are more melancholy. But I don’t think it went down well with audiences.”

While the film ended with the remaining Eternals split into groups with half left to encounter Eros and the Pipo the Troll and the other half captured by the Celestial Arishem, Zhao revealed, “It used to end with everybody back on the ship, minds erased and just going on to another planet, like The Twilight Zone. I remember when it goes to black, everyone was like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ And also, it’s the MCU, and you want to be excited for what’s next.”

Eternals hits Disney+ on January 12.

In other entertainment news, Marvel Entertainment recently teased a crossover with Avengers, X-Men and Eternals.