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Eternals Could Face Chinese Ban Following Director's Controversial Statements


Credit: Marvel Studios

After a series of delays brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic, Marvel's highly-anticipated film Eternals is finally releasing this year and so far, all signs point to the project premiering in November as scheduled. The film will revolve around the origins of the MCU's newest intergalactic superteam and much like their terrestrial equivalent the Avengers, the Eternals are set to save the entire universe from evil threats.



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Credit: Marvel Studios

Fans have long been excited about the film and what this new superhero team brings to the table. The question is, will it be able to live up to the hype both critically and financially? Turns out, Eternals is already facing controversy months before its release, and the people behind the project, specifically the director may be in a tough spot as the film could reportedly face a theatrical ban in China.

Director Chloe Zhao is apparently facing scrutiny in China for her previous statements regarding the country's government. Zhao was actually born and raised in Beijing before moving to the United Kingdom when she was 15 years old. She'd later migrate to the United States to pursue filmmaking and for most of her life, she's associated herself as being more American than Chinese.

In fact, publicity for her most recent film Nomadland is already being censored in China after her apparent criticism of the government resurfaced. During a 2013 interview with Filmmaker Magazine (via Variety), Chloe opened up about growing up in China, saying: "It goes back to when I was a teenager in China, being in a place where there are lies everywhere." Naturally, her statements didn't sit well with the Chinese audience and now she's basically persona non grata in her own country.

We're still not sure whether the Eternals could also suffer the same fate and I'm guessing a simple heartfelt apology might just do the trick. Now, considering China can generate quite the box office numbers for the film given its population, it would be an absolute loss for Marvel Studios financially if they won't be able to secure their Chinese audience that they've worked so hard to please all these years. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens a couple of months from now.

Meanwhile, Marvel Studios' Eternals is currently slated for a November 5, 2021 release.

Also Read:The Eternals Clash with Thanos in Brand New Trailer

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