The Eternals Character Creator Jim Starlin Thinks Was Perfectly Cast
Contains spoilers for "Eternals"
Marvel's long-awaited "Eternals" movie finally premiered in theaters this November, continuing the Phase 4 wave that "Shang-Chi" started. The new era of the MCU seems to be about carrying on the legacy left by Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Into that Hulk-sized vacuum swings a new cadre of longtime Marvel Comics characters, many of whom are making their first-ever live-action appearances. "Eternals" is certainly ambitious in this regard, as the film features so many new heroes with really no other major connections to any other established MCU heroes, plot lines, or teams.
After blazing through a string of origin stories, the film's mid-credits sequence introduces Eros (Harry Styles), the brother of Thanos (Josh Brolin). Despite Styles' obvious appeal, it's Eros' companion that really has some fans excited — including that character's creator. The scene also introduces Pip the Troll, the living teleporter from the planet Laxidazia. Pip the Troll was created by artist and writer Jim Starlin for "Strange Tales" #179, first published in 1975.
Pip apparently holds a special place in Starlin's heart. Fortunately, the creator thinks Pip's voice in the movie fits the galactic troll to a tee.
Starlin thinks Patton Oswalt nailed it as Pip
If Pip the Troll's voice sounds familiar to fans, that's because it belongs to comedian and actor Patton Oswalt, who seems to be on a tear through the various corners of the Marvel universe. Oswalt recently lent his vocal talents to the character MODOK in a Hulu series centered around the fat-headed villain. According to an interview with ComicBook.com, Starlin was not only a fan of Oswalt on the Hulu series, but thought that Marvel Studios also nailed it by casting him as Pip the Troll.
"Now, Patton's always been a character actor who I think has got terrific range, and I think his voice is just perfect for it," Starlin said in the interview.
As the mid-credits scene implies, we probably haven't seen the last of Pip the Troll or Oswalt as his voice. That means Oswalt may be pegged for double-Marvel duty, depending on what happens with "MODOK." Although a release date hasn't been confirmed yet, a Season 2 of "MODOK" could come in the future if Marvel Studios thinks there's a demand for it from fans.