In Early Script, Eternals’ Kang Was Considered To Be Tampering With Time
Eternals screenwriters Kaz and Ryan Firpo about Kang’s arrival in the movie:
According to a recent interview with Eternals screenwriters Kaz and Ryan Firpo, Kang the Conqueror was originally in discussions to feature in the film. Eternals was released in theatres on November 5th, and it is the third film in the MCU’s Phase 4 series. It follows a group of strong heavenly creatures as they battle one of Earth’s most dangerous adversaries, the Deviants. Chloé Zhao co-wrote Eternals alongside the Firpos and Patrick Burleigh, in addition to directing it. Kaz and Ryan are two undiscovered screenwriters who also happen to be relatives. The team secured one of the most coveted jobs after proposing an Eternals store to Marvel in 2018, which was swiftly picked up by the studio. Zhao, a self-proclaimed MCU enthusiast, was on the shortlist to helm the picture and was hired the same year. According to the Firpos, there were many elements that didn’t make it into the final screenplay, like a tale with 12 Eternals instead of 10. The Eternals Zuras and Valkan were featured in one of Kaz and Ryan’s early screenplays, but the characters were eventually deleted.
In an interview with the Playlist Podcast, the Firpos revealed that Kang was considered to appear in Eternals in early versions of the script:
Surprisingly, Zuras and Valkan were not the only characters left out of the final script. During an appearance on the Playlist Podcast, the Firpos stated that Kang was originally planned to debut in Eternals. Ryan acknowledged being “very captivated” by the character following his unexpected appearance in Loki, and believed incorporating Kang into the Eternals may have related to the film’s underlying themes of immortality. Finally, Kaz and Ryan opted to abandon the notion, instead focusing on the story’s major adversaries, the Deviants. Ryan’s complete quote is available below:
“I would say that I was introduced to Kang through my research into the Eternals, and I was really fascinated by him and obviously, [Michael] Waldron and Loki have brought him to life in a really exciting way. He was also somebody where I was like, ‘This could be cool.’ Especially because we’re dealing with immortality. There were even versions in the pitch where we were thinking that Kang could have gotten involved and sort of messed up the Eternals timeline a little bit. But then, you know, we kinda steered away from that. He was somebody I was really fascinated by.”
Kang is about to play a huge role in the MCU despite not appearing in the Eternals:
Kang may not have appeared in Eternals, but he is set to play a significant part in the MCU. Kang made his big screen debut earlier this year in Disney+’s Loki show, as Ryan mentioned, and Johnathan Majors delivered a spectacular performance. Kang has the potential to be one of Marvel’s most terrifying villains to yet, especially after capturing control of the Time Variance Authority in the Loki season 1 finale. Majors was also revealed in December to portray Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, serving as the film’s major nemesis. While the Kang variation saw in Loki was presented as ethically dubious, fans may expect to see the character as a full-fledged villain in the forthcoming Ant-Man film. A sequel to Eternals is possible at Marvel, with Kaz and Ryan even hinting at the inclusion of iconic comic book characters like Galactus. There’s a long way to go until Eternals 2 is released, but it’ll be fascinating to see if any of the Eternals emerge in forthcoming MCU projects before then. Fans are hoping to see Kang before Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantum of Solace arrives in theatres in 2023.In any case, Kang is on course to become Marvel’s next Thanos-level menace, and his next on-screen debut is only a matter of time.
Source: The Playlist/Twitter
