Eternals director Chloé Zhao revealed how Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige reacted to her name-dropping DC's Superman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A scene in the upcoming Marvel film features a child referring to Richard Madden’s Ikaris as "Superman" after seeing him shoot laser beams out of his eyes. Of course, the iconic Man of Steel comes from Marvel's biggest rival, DC Comics. When asked how she snuck in a reference to the competition, Zhao told Variety, "You write it on the page, show it to Kevin, if he doesn't say anything, that's a go. I don't think there was a conversation. Not really, except, he goes, 'Oh, that's cool.'"
Zhao continued, "We're playing on a genre that draws so much from mythology, and Superman, for example, was created in the comics and also by these brilliant filmmakers along the way -- they're modern reinterpretations of mythical characters that exist in different cultures. Ikaris is our interpretation of it. It doesn't mean we can't pay tribute to the really iconic version that we've all grown to love and has influenced us."
Superman isn't the only DC character to get a shoutout in Eternals. When Gilgamesh (Don Lee) meets Kingo's (Kumail Nanjiani) valet, he refers to him as "Alfred," a reference to Batman's butler. Zhao made it clear that all DC characters are fictional in the MCU, simply meant to be "pop culture" references. The filmmaker explained that Gilgamesh "watches Batman," so when he meets Kingo's valet, "He goes, 'Ah, I know!' Because he loves Batman, like so many of us." She added, "Everything that's referenced in this film, whether it's in words or visually, is a tribute. It's out of love and our admiration for these characters."
Zhao recently noted in a separate interview that Superman's influence on many different cultures made a reference to him hard to resist. "I think we're in the business of telling stories about mythology, and Superman, for example, comes from... mythology," she said. Despite seeking to build her own mythology in the MCU, Zhao added, "It doesn't mean we can't pay tribute and have a good time with these iconic ones that we all love too so much. I mean, who doesn't love Superman and Batman? Clearly our Eternals like them."
Meanwhile, Feige appears to have nothing but trust in Zhao and her vision for Eternals, having recently said that Marvel "would not have even attempted" to make the film if it weren't for the Oscar-winning filmmaker.
Eternals arrives in theaters on Nov. 5.
Source: Variety