Is Eternals 2 Really Happening?
Before "Thor: Love and Thunder" rolled in as one of the biggest disappointments of 2022, Marvel fans had another punching bag: "Eternals." The 2021 epic from Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao was undeniably ambitious, featuring a staggeringly large cast of new characters, a story spanning several millennia and continents, and — in some moments — a few genuinely challenging philosophical dilemmas.
Although its successful execution depends on the viewer's willingness to sit through its 157-minute runtime, it's fair to say that the public response was mixed. Even on Rotten Tomatoes, where audience scores for MCU movies skyrocket to the high-80s and low-90s with ease, "Eternals" holds a meager 77%. Despite its cliffhanger ending, it's understandable that some fans may wonder if Marvel Studios would dare touch the property again. While Kit Harrington has teased his character's future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, no actor has confirmed their involvement in an "Eternals" sequel — until a few days ago (via Collider).
Don Lee will return as Gilgamesh in Eternals 2
According to an article from South Korean news outlet YTN (translated by the fine folks at CinemaBlend), Don Lee's upcoming projects include a sequel to "Eternals." For those who had difficulty keeping track of the film's twelve-plus new characters, Lee played Gilgamesh — the Eternal protector of Thena who was slayed by Kro halfway through the film's runtime. YTN's source is Big Punch Entertainment, Lee's talent agency.
Some fans may immediately scoff at the idea, especially since no such sequel was announced at Marvel Studios' convention appearances this year. However, it's easy to forget that Marvel Studios has five slots in their upcoming film slate that have yet to publicly bear a title or premise (via Coming Soon). It's possible — and likely — that one of these projects will be an "Eternals" sequel.
Stranger than the sequel's existence is Lee's involvement. How the film intends to work his definitively deceased character back into the crowded ensemble is anyone's guess — though the first film made it clear that Chloé Zhao enjoys flashbacks as a storytelling device. Maybe there's more to the Epic of Gilgamesh than fans currently know.