Eternals Trailer: Angelina Jolie & Gemma Chan Step in for the Avengers

Superheroes come from dysfunctional families, too. Or at least, that seems to be the case presented in the trailer for Marvel’s Eternals.

In Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao’s first foray into the superhero genre, the story follows a chosen family. Led by Gemma Chan’s Sersi, an ancient immortal being, a crew of immortal spirits band together to battle the Deviants, or the oldest enemy of mankind, after living in secret on planet Earth for thousands of years. For centuries, the immortal superheroes had not interfered with human history, but once their opponents arrive on the scene, they have no choice but to step in and save humanity (especially now that the Avengers are in something of a rut with the deaths of Captain America and Iron Man).

Chan, who previously appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel (though, spoiler alert, the character died in the film), is joined in Eternals by Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Lia McHugh, Salma Hayek, Don Lee, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Kit Harington, and Angelina Jolie, among others.

Jolie plays an ancient warrior named Thena, Nanjiani plays Kingo (a superstrong immortal who, in contemporary times, becomes a film star), Ridloff plays Makkari (a superhero with super speed), Henry plays Phastos (a genius inventor), Hayek plays Ajak (a spiritual leader), McHugh plays Sprite (who always appears eternally young), Lee plays Gilgamesh, Keoghan plays a loner called Druig. The film also marks a Game of Thrones reunion for Madden, who plays Ikaris (named after the Greek myth), and Harington, who plays Dane Whitman.

The MCU phase four film is already being praised for its depiction of the first deaf superhero (played by Ridloff), as well as the first openly gay superhero (played by Henry) and first onscreen LGBTQ kiss.