Harry Styles Speaks Out on Marvel Role for First Time: "I'm So Grateful"
Harry Styles is a Marvel superhero. The first of two credits scenes ending Marvel Studios' Eternals reveals the Dunkirk actor and Fine Line singer as Eros, a.k.a. Starfox of Mystery Planet. Grandly introduced by Pip the Troll (voice of Patton Oswalt) as the royal prince of Titan and the brother of Thanos (Josh Brolin), Styles' Starfox steps out to help Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), Druig (Barry Keoghan), and Thena (Angelina Jolie) when the Celestial Arishem abducts Sersi (Gemma Chan), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), and Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani). "Your friends are in big trouble," says the swaggering Starfox. "And we know where to find them."
The mid-credits scene sets up a more sizable role for Styles, either in an Eternals sequel or elsewhere in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. For now, Styles says he's grateful to have worked with first-time Marvel filmmaker Chloe Zhao.
"I'm only in right at the very end," Styles told Dazed about his Eternals cameo. "But who didn't grow up wanting to be a superhero, you know? It was a great experience, and I'm so grateful to have gotten to work with Chloé."
Zhao previously revealed she hand-picked Styles for the role of Starfox, a member of the Eternals whose comic book counterpart has control over emotions and the power of persuasion.
"Harry as Eros was very much a package deal for me," Zhao told Deadline. "I pitched the idea of Pip the Troll and Eros to Kevin [Feige, Marvel Studios president] a while back. I love the idea of exploring an Eternal who is beyond Titan and who may have influenced Thanos throughout the years the same way [the] Eternals influenced us, earthlings."
"It wasn't like I suggested Eros, and let's go find actors. I kept tabs on Harry since Dunkirk, I thought he was very interesting," added Zhao of Styles' acting debut in director Christopher Nolan's war film. "After meeting him, I realized he is that character—the same way I cast the rest of my cast. There's so much of Eros in him. For me, if he says yes and Kevin says yes then it's a go. And I'm very happy they both did."
Starring Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Lia McHugh, Don Lee, Barry Keoghan, Kit Harington, and Angelina Jolie, Marvel's Eternals is now playing in theaters.