Eternals director Chloé Zhao discussed how much her MCU film changed as it went along and detailed an ending that test audiences were not fond of.

With Eternals set to arrive on Disney+ soon, Zhao spoke to Empire about crafting the Marvel film which has so far proven divisive. Critics lambasted the film, but audiences responded positively, giving Marvel Studios another box office hit. What is clear, however, is the movie is unlike any superhero film to date. But what ended up on the screen changed considerably along the way.

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"I have never made a film where the ending is what I wrote! You find it in the edit," Zhao said. "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."

The movie ends with the remaining Eternals split into groups, with half captured by the Celestial Arishem and taken to face justice and the other half searching the stars and encountering Eros and Pip the Troll. But even though a number of the Eternals find themselves in jeopardy and several lose their lives, Zhao said the original ending was even more depressing.

"It used to end with everybody back on the ship, minds erased and just going on to another planet, like The Twilight Zone." Zhao revealed. 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."

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The film sets up this very idea, that the Eternals are constantly reset and carry out their task over and over on different planets. But Zhao's right that such an ending would have broken considerably from the MCU formula and made a sequel challenging. Instead, things still end on a dire note for the family, but there's also plenty of hope and possibility thrown into the mix as the Eternals seek more of their kind.

Eternals is now playing in theaters and arrives Jan. 12 on Disney+.

Source: Empire