Eternals director Chloé Zhao reveals two superheroes were cut from the original script

There are 10 Eternals in the upcoming Marvel movie – but there were plans for even more.

Director Chloé Zhao confirmed to Fandom that "There [were] 12 characters when I first read [the script]; 12 Eternals. We had to let two go along the way."

It’s not known who would have joined the current batch (deep breath, the current lineup consists of Ikaris, Sersi, Phastos, Sprite, Kingo, Makkari, Druig, Thena, Gilgamesh, and Ajak), but the comics also include technological genius Domo, elder Eternals, and even one called El Vampiro. No prizes for figuring out what he liked doing.

On juggling the current Eternals – even with a bumper runtime – Zhao said, "Some characters don’t need the most screen time, it’s about what they do with the screen time. They have to be memorable."

She added: "All 10 of them had the same weight; not necessarily screen time, but the weight."

One who could join their ranks in future is Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman, AKA the Black Knight.

Harington told GamesRadar+ that "there would hopefully be a trajectory for him into the future. [Marvel] sort of explained what that might be, but really not much [else]."

He continued, "It was sort of ‘Google this character, have a look, see what you think’. If that happens, great – but in this movie you’re this thing."

Eternals, starring Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, and Angelina Jolie (among others) is set for release on November 5. For more on the MCU’s grand plans, check out our guide to Marvel Phase 4.