My contrarian nature means that I generally don’t feel the hype for whatever big extravaganza movie is coming out. If I see a Marvel movie eventually, I’m fine, but if I miss one or several, I’m fine with that too. But I’m genuinely hyped for the rumor that Angelina Jolie is in talks for her first superhero movie. We learned that Jolie is in talks for The Eternals, which is part of Marvel’s latest phase. The film will be directed by Chloe Zhao, which is probably one of the attractions for Angelina, the chance to work with an esteemed female director. As many of you pointed out, being “in talks” isn’t a sure thing, and obviously there are several actors who were in talks for Marvel movies and nothing happened. But the more I’m reading about The Eternals, the more I think Angelina would be amazing in the lead role. The Hollywood Reporter had a lengthy primer on the comic and mythology, and the role of Sersi, which is the role Angelina is likely in talks to play.

While details on the film have been locked up tighter than Odin’s vault, The Eternals, based on the epic saga by comic book legend Jack Kirby, focuses on immortal superpowered beings created by the Celestials, the cosmic giants seen in the Infinity Stones sequence in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Zhao’s film is said to be led by Sersi and Ikaris, two Eternals whose love story rests at the center of an eons-spanning conflict. Marvel had no comment on who Jolie might play, but given that she’s the first actor to be cast, it seems likely that she’s up for the transmutation-powered Sersi. Jolie also looks a great deal like many artists’ depiction of the character. But who is Sersi? And what does Jolie’s casting tell us about the film?

Unlike the previous films that have made up the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Eternals is based around largely unknown entities, even for most comic book readers. This unknown quality plus the fact that Marvel Comics hasn’t made much effort in reprinting Kirby’s series or key appearances of the characters (yet), adds a level of excitement and novelty to Zhao’s feature. As a property that’s more situated in the realm of sci-fi and fantasy than superhero yarns, learning about the Eternals is akin to taking a deep-dive into J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth history or George R.R. Martin’s Westeros and Essos… When it comes to the Celestials, the Eternals and their evil counterparts the Deviants (Thanos’ race), this is heavy Marvel mythology, the building blocks of the universe, and far more complex than anything we’ve seen Marvel Studios adapt thus far.

Created by Jack Kirby, Sersi first appeared in Strange Tales No. 109 (1963), with the name spelled “Circe,” then later as Sersi in The Eternals No. 3 (1976). The distinction in spelling highlights a very important aspect of The Eternals’ comic book history. While Greek gods and goddesses exist in the Marvel Universe, they would often let the Olympia-based Eternals represent their physical forms for the humans on Earth, hence many of the Eternals sharing names similar to their Greek counterparts. This distinction sounds like something the MCU will merge and just make the Eternals the inspiration for the Greek Pantheon, like the Asgardians were the basis for the Norse Gods. The comics have already done some of this synthesizing. Sersi inspired the poet Homer, who included her under the name Circe in The Odyssey in which she turned men into swine. Because of her powers to manipulate matter and rearrange molecular structures, she was often seen as a witch rather than a result of alien experimentation, allowing her to move across comic book genres.

While most of the Eternals eventually returned to the cosmos in search of their larger destiny, Sersi remained on Earth, fascinated with its people and customs. She involved herself in key moments in history, lived in ancient Rome and Camelot, fought alongside Thor and the Vikings in the god’s youth and later joined the Avengers.

Having lived for millennia, Sersi has taken on many roles on Earth and has changed her personality as she’s seen fit, taking the most out of her immortal existence. This worldliness and interest in alleviating human conflict and suffering falls in line with Jolie’s own humanitarian and conservation efforts…It’s impossible to capture the massive potential and mythology of The Eternals through one character and casting choice. But Jolie’s involvement at least gives us a better idea of what’s coming down the road post-Avengers: Endgame. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has promised a very different MCU after April 26, and if Jolie’s casting and Sersi’s eons-spanning history and mythology is any indication, Marvel’s storytelling and casting is only growing in ambition.

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

The reason this is so appealing to me as a Jolie fan/stan is the idea of Jolie as an ageless goddess who moves through the mortal world, dipping in and out of history for millennia. Angelina as Sersi in Camelot, or ancient Rome, or the Renaissance? Come on. I would stan this franchise.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Avalon Red.