Why Angelina Jolie’s Role In Marvel’s ‘The Eternals’ Isn’t Very Good News

Some of Angelina Jolie’s fans are reportedly not happy that she has joined the MCU. While some find it cool that the “Tomb Raider” star is now part of the fourth phase of the grand MCU experiment, some of her fans reportedly want Jolie to play a character who is more important in “The Eternals” mythology.

Angelina Jolie took a long hiatus from acting when she married Brad Pitt. For years, she stayed away from the limelight so she could focus on her children. Since 2010, she has appeared on the big screen only twice — in her own film “By The Sea” and Disney’s “Maleficent.”

When Marvel announced that Jolie accepted a role in “The Eternals,” many were thrilled. But unlike many of the properties adapted during Marvel’s imperial phase, “The Eternals” is a title far less known. Understandably, some didn’t have much reaction to the casting news.

In the Marvel comics, the Eternals are a race of superpowered, nearly eternal humans based on the Greek Gods. The upcoming film will feature Jolie as Thena, a cool character who, like all of the Eternals, has superhuman strength, speed and endurance. Dressed in gold armor and always equipped with her superpowered bow and arrow, she can fly, move things with her mind and teleport.

Although Thena is a cool character in “The Eternals” comics, she is a B-list Eternal at best. Fans of the comics know how the character tends to go against her teammates and that she has an affair with one of their enemies.

It remains to be seen if the film adaptation will depict Thena just the same. But if it sticks to the comics, then fans shouldn’t expect much as “The Eternals” comic book has not been very great to female characters.

If there is one female character in the comics who is a fan favorite, it is Sersi. That is why when Marvel announced that the comics would be adapted into film, the lead character would be her. However, fans were surprised that Jolie would play the lesser role, Thena, and not the most prominent Eternal.

As of now, Marvel still hasn’t announced who will play Sersi in the upcoming film. It’s not even certain if the comic book character will make it to the film or if Jolie’s casting means that the film will center on Thena, not Sersi. Fans have yet to see how much Marvel will stick to the source material.