How Marvel’s The Eternals Is Still Being Worked On To Meet Its Release Date

The Eternals in the comics

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It's a unique time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We're currently occupying the interim period between phases, as there hasn't been a new release since Spider-Man: Far From Home caught up with the universe post-Thanos. Phase Four was originally going to start with Cate Shortland's Black Widow, but global concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic cause the long awaited solo flick to be pushed back. The Eternals is the next movie to hit theaters within the MCU, and its still being worked on despite most business and offices closing in accordance with social distancing.

Coronavirus has brought the entertainment industry to a screeching halt. Upcoming blockbusters were pushed back as theaters closed, and film sets have been shut down indefinitely. It's still unclear how all of these delays will affect the next few years of releases, but Marvel fans will be happy to see that The Eternals is still moving forward. Namely, because the company handling the visual effects has their staff working from home, and therefore about to continue their efforts. Scanlin VFX made this announcement via social media, check it out below.

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While the announcement doesn't mention The Eternals by name, the upcoming Marvel blockbuster is one of the projects that Scanlin VFX is working on. As such, one can only assume that they'd put the Marvel blockbuster at the top of their priority list, especially now that Black Widow was pushed back to an unknown date.

The above tweet reveals that the company has set up its whopping 650 employees working from, originating from their offices all over the world. Scanlin VFX has worked on plenty of well-known projects, including a slew of Marvel movies like Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The massive group of artists and workers recently collaborated with the studio for Black Widow, so we should expect Scanlin to have its hands in a few Phase Four cookie jars.

Marvel blockbusters always have a ton of visual effects, giving the cast superpowers and bringing audiences to colorful new worlds. As such, there are a ton of VFX artists working on each blockbuster, coming from a few different companies. The Eternals looks like it's going to be a massive story through time and space, so smart money says the visual effects are especially important to completing the story.

Marvel fans can re-watch the franchise's biggest moments on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.

Directed by Chloé Zhao, The Eternals will span thousands of years, and focus on group of super powerful (immortal) beings. While the story largely remains a mystery, we know it'll be a cosmic story, while also being primarily set on Earth. Each member of the group has its own abilities, and it should be interesting to see how they're brought to life-- complete with visual effects.

While Black Widow was originally going to open in theaters on May 1st, Marvel Studios pulled it amid COVID-19 concerns. But that movie is a semi-prequel, set in between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. As such, The Eternals was always set to be the first Phase Four movie set in the present, and after the craziness that was Endgame.

The Eternals is set to arrive in theaters on November 6th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.