Chloe Zhao opens up about the negative response to her Marvel Studios superhero movie Eternals

dailymail.co.uk:

The superhero movie Eternals is considered the first 'misfire' ever for Marvel Studios and their wide-ranging Marvel Cinematic Universe, with director Chloe Zhao speaking out about the negative response.Eternals was the first of the MCU's 26 movies to earn a 'rotten' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a lowly 47% rating from the RT critics, and its $168.4 million domestic gross the second worst, behind the second-ever MCU film, 2008's The Incredible Hulk ($134.8 million).Zhao, who was coming off a Best Picture win for her film Nomadland, spoke about the divisive reaction to the film for the first time in an interview with Empire, revealing that she, 'definitely felt it coming.' Speaking out:The superhero movie Eternals is considered the first 'misfire' ever for Marvel Studios and their wide-ranging Marvel Cinematic Universe, with director Chloe Zhao speaking out about the negative response Rotten:Eternals was the first of the MCU's 26 movies to earn a 'rotten' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a lowly 47% rating from the RT critics, and its $168.4 million domestic gross the second worst, behind the second-ever MCU film, 2008's The Incredible Hulk ($134.8 million)Eternals was one of several movies whose release was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the film originally set for release on November 6, 2020.It was ultimately delayed to February 12, 2021 (where Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings wound up opening) and then to November 5, when it opened in theaters.

Zhao revealed that the subject matter of the film - along with its release in the midst of a global pandemic - likely resulted in the negative response, which she was expecting.