It’s hammy and kind of silly and embarrassing, but it’s also intimate in a way the series doesn’t always let itself portray. (And, again, while sex is mostly missing from this series, what we’re really asking for is a physical expression of these characters as people, even super-charged ones.) As the pair consummate their affection physically, the film takes pains to ground it as an emotional experience as well, with the couple trading off “I love you’s” during the act. The scene highlights Zhao’s bent toward presenting Sersi and Ikaris’ bond as being rooted in love and respect, not just raw desire.
Zhao nearly subverts that, however, even with the constraints of a franchise that is a) mostly rated PG-13 (and while surely parts of the series are “meant for kids,” remember that the first MCU film came out in 2008 and that most of these fans are very much grown up now) and b) perpetually worried about keeping up big boundaries, if only so it can reassert them in the inevitable sequel. You’d have to squint to see much movement, and it’s the only time we see the pair do much more beyond a stray kiss here and there. After professing their love for each other, Sersi and Ikaris consummate their affection by way of a desert-set love scene, which features both actors going topless (though nothing beyond bare backs and arms are seen), gently grinding against each other under a well-placed blanket. The sex scene in question may be quite tame - the film is, of course, rated PG-13 - but still stands out in the franchise. As the filmmaker recently told IndieWire, “For us to be able to show two people who love each other, not just emotionally and intellectually but also physically, and to have a sex scene that will be seen by a lot of people that shows their love and compassion and gentleness - I think it’s a really beautiful thing.” She’s not wrong the scene is lovely and helps bind Sersi and Ikaris in a fashion that the MCU has never previously dared. 'House of the Dragon': Everything You Need to Know About HBO's Upcoming SeriesĮmmy Predictions: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Review: Sam Raimi Just Saved the MCU from Itself 'Doctor Strange' Star Rachel McAdams Originally Expected to Play 3 Different Versions of Her Character in Sequel (And, listen, we know these characters are having sex: Iron Man and Pepper Potts have a kid, for chrissakes.) Jane Foster, Star-Lord and Gamora, and (to a lesser extent) Black Widow and The Hulk - though few of them have ever shown physical affection beyond a kiss or a loaded look. Across nearly 30 films, the franchise has found the time to depict love stories involving Captain America and Peggy Carter, Iron Man and Pepper Potts, Spider-Man and MJ, Thor and Dr.
The Nomadland director revealed what it was like shooting such an intimate moment for the superhero film.Marvel movies aren’t always romance-less. So, Marvel has been planning this shift for a while. Zhao revealed the scene was in the script before she boarded Eternals. So, incorporating some adult circumstances will allow for the MCU to mature and grow with their audiences. And so, these scenes just started to happen naturally.Īs Chloé Zhao pointed out, the next phase of Marvel will set the tone for the next decade. I think it’s happening to superhero films - or at least we’re on the edge of that. I think it’s like Westerns coming into the revisionist period of the ’70s. But I think the desire to do something different is a very natural desire for where Marvel Studios is right now.
The Oscar winner told IndieWire about what the sex scene will mean for the overall MCU.įrom that moment to what you see onscreen, there was definitely a lot of discussion about how to do it. The love undertones are forecasting for something special to happen given Zhao’s visionary filmmaking. Of course, Chloé Zhao didn’t reveal who will be involved in the love scene. Having an intimate moment between characters does seem plausible given the possible love triangle in Eternals.