Marvel’s Eternals Directors Gives Cryptic Answer to Star Wars Question

Eternals is hitting theaters next month, making it the third out of four Marvel Cinematic Universe movies set to be released in 2021. The film is being helmed by Chloé Zhao, who recently became the second woman in history to win Best Director at the Academy Awards for directing Nomadland. Fans of Zhao are eager to see how her style melds with Marvel, and it appears the MCU might not be the only Disney-owned franchise the director is interested in. Zhao recently had a chat with Al Horner and brought up Star Wars multiple times, which led to the question, “Would you like to direct a Star Wars movie?”

“Hmmmm. I have to tread very carefully with what I say here,” Zhao replied with a laugh. “Yes. Let’s just say, it’s a world I have so much reverence for because it was such an important part of my life.” While this certainly isn’t a confirmation, the cryptic nature of her response is making us hopeful that Zhao could direct a Star Wars movie in the future.

If Zhao does join the galaxy far, far away, she wouldn’t be the first Marvel director to make the switch.  During the Disney Investor Day live stream back in December, Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy confirmed Taika Waititi’s untitled Star Wars film, which was originally reported last May. During an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald back in June, Waititi said he hopes the Star Wars project will be happening soon. “I don’t know if that’s going to be Star Wars,” Waititi replied when asked what’s next after Thor: Love and Thunder. “I hope it’ll be that but there’s a whole lot of other little things that I’ve got my sticky little fingers attached to so we’ll see.”

“It’s still in the ‘EXT. SPACE’ stage,” Waititi joked with Wired UK about the status of his Star Wars script. “But we’ve got a story. I’m really excited by it because it feels very me.”He continued, “I tend to go down that little sincerity alleyway in my films. I like to fool the viewer into thinking ‘ha it’s this’ and then them going, ‘Damn it, you made me feel something!’”

As for Eternals, Zhao recently spoke about why she wanted to work with Marvel.

“I have been a fan of the MCU for the last decade. So, I put the word out there I wanted to make a Marvel movie and the right project came to me,” Zhao said while speaking with director Barry Jenkins in a discussion for Variety. “I just wanted to work with that team. Again, back to world-building. It is my favorite thing. That’s why I love ‘Star Wars.’ There is a world that is so rich. I wanted to enter it and see what I can do. It’s the same as what you’re saying. Can I put a spin on it while still being true to the essence of it? That’s exciting to me. It’s not that different than me going to the world of rodeo cowboys and saying, ‘My spin on that is going to be this,’ and it’s a collaboration. The chemistry of that, when it’s right, it could be very exciting.”

Would you like to see Chloé Zhao direct a Star Wars film? Tell us in the comments! 

Eternals is currently scheduled to hit on theatres on November 5th.