WARNING: Spoiler for Eternals below. Although, the cat’s really out of the bag on this one.
In a casting coup that was unfortunately blasted all over Twitter two weeks before Eternals hit theaters, Harry Styles made his MCU debut in the film’s mid-credits scene as the classic Marvel character, Eros (a.k.a. Starfox if you want to get super nerdy), a hedonistic, yet occasionally heroic Eternal who spends his days wandering the galaxy looking for love. Oh, and also, he’s Thanos’ brother, which is why MCU fans absolutely flipped over Styles showing up in the cosmic film.
With the One Direction singer’s Marvel debut out in the open, Styles recently revealed to Dazed how he ended up playing the sibling of the MCU’s most brutal villain — for now:
Styles cautiously checks the publication date of this Dazed story before confirming his inclusion as the brother of villain Thanos. “I’m only in right at the very end,” he says humbly. “But who didn’t grow up wanting to be a superhero, you know? It was a great experience and I’m so grateful to have gotten to work with Chloé.”
According to Eternals director Chloé Zhao, she had Styles pegged for Eros from the first moment she saw him in Christoper Nolan’s Dunkirk, and that instinct was only further confirmed after meeting him. “There’s so much of Eros in him,” Zhao recently told Deadline while thanking Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige for making the casting happen.
As for what exactly Eros’ presence in the MCU means… that’s still anyone’s guess. He was never close with his genocidal brother in the comics, so there’s probably not a concern that he’ll be looking for revenge. Although, if there’s one thing the MCU has prided itself on, it’s switching things up, so maybe the Marvel Universe is about to be rocked again.
But, you know… handsomely this time.
(Via Dazed)