It seems as though Marvel Studios has had nothing but bad luck when it comes to releasing major films in China. And that streak is set to continue when Eternals releases across the world in virtually every territory except the Middle Kingdom in November. But it isn't because the audiences isn't there, as there are other major factors that contributed to China's apparent hesitation to screen the upcoming ensemble film.
The largest reason, or at least the one that Chinese authorities seem the readiest to use to ban the film from screens, is director Chloé Zhao. While it might seem like she would be a point of pride for Chinese culture and representation overseas, the Beijing-born director has been turned into something of a controversial figure this year, simply for discussing her experiences growing up in China and expressing her views.
In an interview with Filmmaker Magazine back in 2013, Zhao described her teenage years in China and used a few choice words to describe the political situation. She said, "It goes back to when I was a teenager in China, being in a place where there are lies everywhere... You felt like you were never going to be able to get out. A lot of info I received when I was younger was not true, and I became very rebellious toward my family and my background. I went to England suddenly and relearned my history. Studying political science in a liberal arts college was a way for me to figure out what is real. Arm yourself with information, and then challenge that too."
Though fairly old, the interview only recently gained widespread attention this year, thanks to Zhao's Academy Award nomination and win for Nomadland. The awards ceremony was censored in China and Hong Kong -- which has been quickly adopting mainland China's policies -- and Zhao's name was scrubbed from media across China. Given that Eternals still doesn't have a release date in China, it's evident that the Chinese Communist Party-ruled government is still feeling the sting of Zhao's words, regardless of whether or not the Chinese people themselves actually care. After all, the people have never truly dictated the decisions and policies of the Party. Releasing Eternals in spite of the controversy was not a conscious decision on Marvel Studios' part, as Zhao has been attached to the project since 2018.
Zhao's comments on life in China under the CCP may seem like the long and short of Eternals' apparent ban, but there's a little more to it. The whole point of allowing Hollywood films into the Chinese market was to support the growing film industry, so why wouldn't Chinese authorities allow this one aspect to pass and let the newest MCU film -- usually a massive draw for Chinese audiences -- into theaters? Well, this year marks the centennial of the CCP. And in celebration, the Party demanded that throughout the year, cinemas screen at least two propaganda films per week, making Chinese productions with nationalist and socialist messages a priority -- qualities that Eternals, and most other foreign films, generally don't possess. More than that, Zhao's Eternals, by all accounts, has a human approach to its god-like heroes and depicts a wide variety of human characters and relationships, some of which may not sit well with the CCP and the antiquated views of its leadership.
It's worth stating again that none of this represents what the Chinese people want. The CCP has a tight hold on the kind of content that the Chinese people are able to consume, and it's only going to get tighter in the years to come. Eternals is only the latest in a long list of foreign films and TV shows to be kept from Chinese audiences, and it won't be the last.
To see Chloe Zhao bring the Eternals to the big screen, the film hits theaters on Nov. 5.