Gemma Chan, who played the role of Sersi in Eternals, was originally supposed to be of different ethnicity. However, the fans saw something completely different once the movie was officially released in theaters. Chan was a part of the huge and stellar cast of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 2021 TV show called Eternals.
Even though the film was not one of Marvel Studios’ very well-rated projects, a lot of people are still a fan of Chloé Zhao's blockbuster debut. This project ended up giving Gemma Chan her second role in the MCU, with her first being in 2019’s Captain Marvel, in which she played the role of Minn-Erva.
The Eternals - The Art of the Movie book was recently released, which shares concept artwork and in-depth interviews with the creative team. TheDirect shared a part about Gemma Chan’s Sersi, revealing the original ethnicity of the character before it was completely changed by Marvel. Wesley Burt, the Visual Development Artist, shared that a couple of "early talks about Sersi presented her as a woman of color" during the production of Eternals. You can read the full response below:
"The ensemble cast for ' Eternals ' was always indicative of humanity at a global view... Some of the early talks about Sersi presented her as a woman of color. That always sounded great, especially as the lead in a Super Hero movie, so the designs began there from the start."
The concept art was also released, which showed Sersi with a different ethnicity than the one that was portrayed in the movie, i.e., Asian. Burt further stated that Sersi was always presented to the artist as the main protagonist of the movie, who was directly tied to humanity. You can read the entire response below:
"Sersi was always presented to me as the primary protagonist, the character that audiences would have the most direct ties to humanity through events leading to her ultimate drive to stop the birth of Tiamut. As the script developed, it always had Sersi at the heart of the film and the team. If anything, I wish that we could have seen even more scenes where she interacts with and reflects upon humanity in the different ages."
The director of Eternals, Chloé Zhao, explained that Sersi’s character always sees the good in everyone. However, when it comes to her own abilities, she doesn’t really believe in herself and her powers. The director said, "[Sersi is] kind and compassionate... She always sees the good in everyone. But she doesn't always believe in her own abilities. In this film, we're going to watch her go on this journey of self-discovery. For all the indie film fans, this is emotional."
Janelle Monáe Was Almost Cast For The Role Of Sersi
Even though we can’t be sure, the concept art suggests that the actress and musician Janelle Monáe might have been in mind for Sersi’s role at some point. Monáe was recently a part of Netflix’s Glass Onion, and before that, she was cast in movies such as Moonlight and Hidden Figures. Although Gemma did a great job in Eternals, Monáe would still have been an equally good choice for the role of Sersi.
Eternals might have failed as a movie, but it did a fantastic job at portraying a greater scope of humanity as well as including diversity. It can also be said that the MCU project was one of the most inclusive and diverse titles yet in the history of the franchise. Concerning Sersi, we aren’t quite sure when Gemma Chan will come back to the MCU yet. However, we do hope that some kind of sequel for Eternals is under consideration at Marvel Studios. The movie had tons of plot lines that just need wrapping up.
Eternals can now be seen on Disney+.
