What Happened To Angelina Jolie After Eternals (& Why Was Her 'Death' Trending)?

While "The Eternals" failed to meet expectations, the film did add some talented names to the MCU's roster, including Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie. After the movie's poor reception, some fans may wonder how she is doing, especially since they may have noticed that Jolie's untimely demise was a trending topic at one point.

Despite the fall of "The Eternals," Jolie hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, making it known she has several projects in the works. A report from Vogue in May 2023 revealed the actress has been hard at work being a humanitarian heroine in real life, launching a purpose-driven fashion brand known as Atelier Jolie to assist refugees and other underappreciated groups. Fans will also be overjoyed to learn that she presumably will return to voice the role of Tigress in "Kung Fu Panda 4" (scheduled for a release sometime in 2024), and she is set to reprise the titular role in "Maleficent 3." Outside the realm of franchises, Jolie will be flexing her skills in possible awards contenders with "Every Note Played" alongside Christoph Waltz and the biopic for opera legend Maria Calla, directed by Pablo Larrain.

Although Jolie is clearly living her life to the fullest amid a massive Marvel miss, everyone couldn't stop talking about her death when her passing became a trending topic in 2023. But there was no health scare, close call, and most importantly, she didn't die. The cause of the confusion and hype surrounding the tragic news was linked to a less-than-reliable source.

It's no secret the actress has constantly had to contend with gossip regarding personal matters like her family, love life, and divorce. But it may be shocking to discover that she's also had to deal with the internet buzzing about her death before she even expired. According to The Sun, the rumors of her passing started circulating thanks to a social media post from March 2023 that said, "very sad news about Angelina Jolie." Things escalated after an article was posted the next month in response to a Facebook post reading, "At about 11 a.m. ET on Sunday (April 23, 2023), our beloved actress Angelina Jolie passed away. Angelina Jolie (daughter of Jon Voight) was born on June 4, 1975, in Los Angeles. She will be missed but not forgotten."

The shocking ordeal caused quite a stir with fans, but the entire thing was quickly debunked and labeled as another celebrity death hoax. Several famous people have been subject to a fake death debacle, with some being unfortunate enough to have their expiration fabricated multiple times. "The Eternals" star is one of these unlucky souls. Jolie was rumored to have died in 2016 after links claiming to lead to a CNN video of her before her passing was posted online. Snopes.com discredited the entire ordeal, indicating it was the work of a death hoax generator that had also hit other celebrities. 

Whether it's surviving a slew of fake death scams or a lousy start in the MCU, Angelina Jolie is still alive and kicking. Some fans might want to know if Jolie has plans to reprise Thena in another Marvel installment.

Some may have assumed that "The Eternals" not resonating well with fans and critics would mean Angelina Jolie would potentially want to leave the MCU behind. But that couldn't be farther from the truth. She is interested in returning — under the condition she is not removed from her onscreen immortal alien kin. "I loved being part of the family, so I have no desire to separate from the family," the actress said to CinePOP in an interview. "But I would be happy to play her again and explore even more deeply the struggles that she has." 

Jolie noted that Thena and the rest of her family potentially have much to work with in terms of story, saying, "I think it's fun thinking of where they've been over the years. We've got thousands of years worth of material. We can take her anywhere." The actress also added she wouldn't be against appearing in other MCU properties, claiming, "I like the idea that we can pop up somewhere, maybe in other Marvel movies."

Given the less-than-stellar performance of "The Eternals," Jolie's MCU future is a mystery. While her turn as the elite weapon-conjuring warrior probably won't make the cut concerning her best movie roles, Jolie's fondness for Thena and the family values her story entails is enough to keep the idea of Jolie coming back for more alive should the opportunity arise.