Gemma Chan cast in major role in Marvel's 'The Eternals'

Sersi, left, as depicted by Marvel Comics, is Gemma Chan's character in upcoming movie, The Eternals.

As Marvel launches it's next phalanx of superheroes for Disney Studios, Crazy Rich Asians co-star Gemma Chan joins the cast of The Eternals, as Sersi. The announcement was made during Disney's D23 Expo when the studio revealed details about their upcoming projects.

It is the second Marvel character played by the Chinese Brit. Chan played the blue-skinned villain, Minn-Erva, in Captain Marvel.

She joins a star-laden cast, including A-listers Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden and Salma Hayek. Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) who will play Kingo, one of the Eternals, a race of powerful beings are thousands of years old and who have influenced the course of human history.

On its webpage, Marvel describes the character Sersi:

Sersi is a member of the Eternals, a species diverted from humanity by experiments conducted by the Celestials one million years ago. She is at least 5,000 years old and became legendary around 1,300 B.C., when the Greek hero Odysseus and his crew, fresh from the Trojan War, came to her island Aeaea. Sersi transformed Odysseus' crewmen into pigs for attempting to menace her. Odysseus, however, managed to ward her off with the aid of the goddess Athena, and Sersi turned his men back to normal. Odysseus spent a year on Aeaea; she also encountered Odysseus' son Telemachus when he came following his father's path. Centuries later, Sersi still considered Telemachus to be the love of her life.

Over the centuries Sersi often interacted with humans, visiting Rome during the reign of Nero, helping Merlin expose an impostor (Merlin Demonspawn) in Camelot, visiting France during the French Revolution, and befriending the English poet Thomas Chatterton.

In recent years, the Celestials returned to Earth to judge humanity, the Eternals, and their other creation, the Deviants. Sersi became involved in the struggle, enjoying the adventure, but caring little for combat. By this time, Sersi had become a famous entertainer in New York, hosting parties at her loft for film stars, super heroes and other influential people. She often entertained with her powers, which her normal human guests believed to be stage magic. Sersi's super-hero friendships eventually led her to join the Avengers in search of adventure and romance, first pursuing Captain America and later the Black Knight. Sersi was a sublime yet powerful teammate until she was driven insane by Proctor, an alternate-reality Black Knight whose Earth had been destroyed by his world's Sersi. Sersi eventually slew Proctor and left the Avengers, operating in the extra-dimensional Ultraverse for a time before returning home and regaining her sanity. She continues to live in New York, occasionally aiding the Avengers and her people against their foes, but preferring her life as a socialite.

The Black Knight mentioned prominently in Sersi's bio is being played by none other than Kit Harrington, fresh off Game of Thrones, so expect sparks to fly between those too.

Sersi's role iis central n the storyline. The Hollywood Reporter reports that "one aspect to the story involves the love story between Ikaris, a man fueled by cosmic energy, and Sersi, who relishes moving amongst humans." 

The Eternals will be directed Asian American Chloe Zhao, whose previous movies have been indies, The Rider and Songs My Brother Taught Me. The superhero movie is set to hit the screens in November, 2020.

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