Just when we thought the return of Natalie Portman as the Mighty Thor and Christian Bale's MCU debut as the menacing Gorr The God Butcher was more than enough for Thor: Love and Thunder, apparently, there's more. One of Marvel Comics' strongest beings, Eternity, made its first live-action MCU appearance, described as the sum of all life that exists in the universe.
While Eternity's MCU future remains to be seen, Thor: Love and Thunder triumphantly established how strong the character is. Sadly, there wasn't any actor behind the character, and is entirely made up of VFX effects. Now, it's hard not to wonder why Marvel Studios didn't cast anyone as Eternity, particularly an A-list actor like Morgan Freeman, who's undoubtedly fitting for the role.
In a recent interview with Josh Wilding of ComicBookBovie.com, Thor: Love and Thunder's VFX Supervisor Jake Morrison sheds some light on Eternity's inclusion and why Marvel Studios decided not to cast Morgan Freeman or another actor with the same Hollywood stature for the role.
Talking about the challenges they faced bringing Eternity to life, Morrison admitted that they went through a lot of options and almost considered Morgan Freeman to play the character:
The Marvel VFX supervisor also noted that casting a major actor as Eternity could have stolen the spotlight from Hemsworth, Portman, and Bale in a very "heavy, emotional scene."
Lastly, Morrison gave credits to Marvel Studios for letting them have the entire decision for Eternity's first on-screen debut:
In Marvel Comics, Eternity is ultimately one of the strongest beings. Some of Eternity's impressive feats include defeating Dormammu, destroying and recreating earth, and shaping the universe multiple times.
However, one obvious reason why Marvel Studios did not cast anyone in the role is to pave the way for the actor who will officially play Eternity in the long run, once the studio decided to give the character a more prominent inclusion in the future. When they do, Morgan Freeman would absolutely be an interesting choice.
Thor: Love and Thunder is now streaming on Disney+.