Marvel's 'The Eternals' looking to cast Gemma Chan in undisclosed role, here's why it's likely to be Sersi
‘Crazy Rich Asians’ star Gemma Chan has already been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe once, having played the Kree warrior Minn-Erva in ‘Captain Marvel’. Now the actress is reportedly in talks to play a new role in Marvel's upcoming movie ‘The Eternals’.
Sources told Variety the 36-year-old actor would be playing a completely different role in the movie. If those reports are true, that would make Chan one of the first stars to get the chance to play two different characters in the same cinematic universe.
Speculations are running rife on the internet as to who the actor may be portraying but we have a certain former Avenger in mind whom Chan might just be perfect for - the Eternal sorceress known as Sersi.
The character of Sersi was introduced in 1963’s ‘Strange Tales #109’, though her origins as an Eternal would only be established over a decade later in ‘Eternals #3’ (1976). Much like the rest of the Eternals, she’s been active in human affairs for a long time -- the Ancient Greeks knew her as the sorceress Circe who bewitched Odysseus -- but by the time we meet her in the comics, she is living on the Upper West Side in New York City as a socialite and party-planner.
She had a lot of adventures with Captain America and the Avengers, eventually becoming a member of the team and starting a relationship with her teammate Black Knight. After a series of disastrous events led to her ending her relationship with the Knight, Sersi eventually left the team and has distanced herself from superheroics for the most part.
The character is easily one of the most recognizable members of the Eternals. In fact, when it was first announced that Angelina Jolie was looking to join the movie, fans speculated that the ‘Salt’ actress would be cast in the role of Sersi. However, Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con 2019 panel revealed that Jolie would be appearing as Thena, the leader of the Eternals.
The cast unveiled at SDCC 2019 included Richard Madden as Icarus, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Bryan Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as Ajax, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Don Lee as Gilgamesh and Angelina Jolie as Thena. Sersi is the only notable character who is missing from that list, so we can be pretty sure Marvel could be looking at Chan to fill the role.
‘The Eternals’ will be arriving in theaters in the Fall of 2020.