“Eternal” follows Earth’s first immortal superhumans — features Eternal weapons-maker Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), along with his husband, Ben (Haaz Sleiman), and their son, Jack (Esai Daniel Cross).
The 10 immortal aliens, never before seen on the big screen, have been separated for millennia but reunite to fight monstrous creatures known as Deviants. The new Marvel blockbuster is being praised in the media for its diverse characters–from its first deaf and South Asian superheroes to the first gay kiss.
When Brian Tyree Henry who plays Phastos, a master inventor who is gay, kisses his partner as they fear the world might end, audience members at the Hollywood premiere cheered and clapped.
“It’s truly emotional and you can feel it,” said Chinese-born director Chloe Zhao, who won an Oscar this year for ‘Nomadland.’ “It’s not just a physical kiss. These two people have intense feelings for each other and they’re not afraid to show it.”
Local censors in the Gulf countries requested that certain edits be made, Disney refused and as a result the movie was banned in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar, where being LGBTQ is illegal, and (of course) Russia. Speaking to Variety, Haaz Sleiman — who is gay and of Lebanese descent — said he was emotional at Disney’s response to the ban. “They stood their ground and said, ‘Nope, we are not going to compromise the integrity of our film.’ It made these Arab countries look so ignorant and pathetic.”
“I have no respect for those governments,” Sleiman continued. “They have displayed to the world that they are not only a disgrace to humanity but to God.”
“I wish I had that when I was a kid, to see this. My god. I wish! Can you imagine how many lives this is going to be saving — kids, young queer folk who are being bullied, committing suicide, and not seeing themselves being represented? And now they get to see this — it’s above and beyond.”
“The couple’s relationship is a key aspect of Phastos’ story and helps viewers to find a relatable aspect of Phastos’ life,” GLAAD wrote in a Variety guest column. “And they even get to share a moment that is still so rarely seen between queer couples in mainstream films — a kiss.”
In a recent press conference, Brian Tyree Henry emphasized how much representation matters. “It just triggered me to being an 11-year-old kid who’s watching these superpower movies, superhero movies, and not ever seeing anyone like me reflected,” he said, adding that he’d have posters in his locker growing up with the hope that “one day there would be somebody representing me and the way that I am.”
“This is what families look like. This is what they are,” he added. “If not, this is what they should be… I think that that’s what ‘Eternals’ really brings to the surface is that this is a family. This is who we are.”