Chloe Zhao Confirms A Massive Runtime For Marvel's Eternals

This November will see a brand new band of superheroes join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and so far, just about every image of this upcoming installment has made us weep. Boasting a ridiculously talented cast comprised of Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harrington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie, Marvel's "Eternals" is set to send shockwaves through the world we've come to love, and director Chloe Zhao has revealed just how big they'll be.

Speaking to Fandango, the Oscar-winner behind "Nomadland" revealed that the upcoming story that's been running alongside the MCU all this time, surprisingly, will be one that any MCU novice can drop into without the usually required viewing of the 20+ films beforehand. "The film completely stands alone," Zhao said. "If you know half the universe disappeared and it came back, that's all you need to know to watch this film. But what happens in this film will have huge implications on the future."

Even with that minor universe-changing issue being considered, Zhao has revealed that the story she's telling is still a massive one and requires an enormous runtime to do so. With the "Eternals" comprised of almost twice as many characters as the original Avengers team, Zhao revealed to Fandango that there was a lot to this tale than some of the films that preceded it. Clocking in at over two-and-a-half hours, it's the longest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with "Avengers: Endgame" still sitting at the top of the list. "You know, it's ten characters, the Celestials and 7,000 years," explained Zhao. "There's a lot going on."

Whatever we see unfold in the upcoming film, Zhao revealed that it could be longer, confirming that we'll even have more to see for the film's home release: "You get to see some [more content], yes." That's understandable, as a film called "Eternals" is begging for a lengthy watch. We can only wait and see how it all unfolds when the film arrives November 5.