Chloe Zhao Says ‘Eternals’ Originally Had A “Bleak” ‘Twilight Zone’-Esque Ending During Test Screenings

As we close out 2021, it’s interesting to think that perhaps the most anticipated Marvel Studios film of the year turned out to be the most disappointing. And that film is “Eternals.” With an incredible cast and an Oscar-winning director in Chloe Zhao, many expected “Eternals” to be a new, daring take on the MCU. And what we got was something different—a fairly boring MCU film. But according to a new interview with Empire, Zhao explained that she did actually have something really different in mind initially when it came to how she was going to end the film.

**Spoilers for “Eternals,” if you haven’t seen it yet…**

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“Eternals” ends with some of the surviving members of the team being teleported off-planet to a ship in space after they narrowly saved Earth and humanity. While there, they are greeted by Eros (Harry Styles) and Pip the Troll (Patton Oswalt). But the original ending for the film, the one that was tested for audiences before the film’s release, was much, much different.

“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,” said Zhao. “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.”

Obviously, after seeing “Eternals” and its rather mundane, almost sedate pacing, perhaps a bleak ending would have completely turned off fans who weren’t already disappointed by the film. So, the official ending, while vague, does hint at what’s to perhaps come if “Eternals” gets another film in the future. 

And what’s to come is seemingly new additions to the team including the aforementioned Styles and Oswalt. When asked how she came up with the idea of bringing Styles in to play Eros in the film, Zhao had quite a detailed explanation. Clearly, she’s excited by the prospects that Eros introduces to the franchise.

READ MORE: Chloe Zhao Talks The Other ‘Eternals’ Post-Credits Scene & The Shocking Use Of One Of Her “Favorite Superheroes”

“Long story short, with that depressing ending, at some point [Eros] was going to be one of the Eternals on that ship. And that didn’t quite work out,” explained Zhao. “But I had been wanting to bring Eros into the MCU. So I kept mentioning it to Kevin [Feige] at every chance I had in the hallway because I love the idea of Eros being another Eternal, another Ajak. He’s an Eternal, and he was stationed on Titan – 10 of them were, just like the 10 Eternals on Earth, assuming Titan is also a host planet at some point. Now, if you think about that, what influence could Eros have had on the inhabitants of Titan, the way Ajak has influenced people on Earth? And how that has affected Thanos?”

She added, “For me, the backstory of Eros is that he deserted, he said, “I’m not doing this anymore.” So he somehow got that sphere, which you saw in his hand, and he ran off and made Pip the troll. They’re like Han Solo and Chewie. Arishem’s been looking for him, and he’s just been a space outlaw. That’s the character I had in my mind. But I never said once to Kevin, ‘Here’s the character. Let’s find an actor.’ For me, it was a package deal. It’s got to be Harry. That’s how I pitched it to Kevin.”

Perhaps when “Eternals” arrives on Blu-ray and 4K UHD, fans will get to see the bleak ending that Zhao was initially excited about. If nothing else, it does sound as if the filmmaker is excited by the future of the franchise. It’s just going to be interesting to see if Marvel Studios explores more with the Eternals in light of the negative reviews and disappointing box office. 

“Eternals” hits Disney+ on January 12, 2022, before arriving on Blu-ray/4K UHD on February 15, 2022.