New set photos from Marvel’s Eternals put Gemma Chan’s Sersi in modern day London. Marvel Studios confirmed this summer what Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will look like, and Eternals is one of their earliest offerings in a post-Avengers: Endgame world. The movie, directed by Chloé Zhao, is based on the Marvel characters of the same name, a group of superhumans created by the Celestials.

With their lesser-known nature, Marvel Studios assembled an all-star cast to bring Eternals to the big screen. Game of Thrones alums Richard Madden (Ikaris) and Kit Harington (Black Knight) are part of the ensemble, as well as Salma Hayek (Ajak), Kumail Nanjiani (Kingo), and Angeline Jolie (Thena). The latter was the first cast member to be spotted on the set of Eternals, giving fans a sneak peek at what the MCU film will hold. Those photos and more have teased the movie set in the past, but now we know that some of Eternals will take place in the present day.

Thanks to a few new set photos from Eternals shared by the Twitter account @eternals2020, Gemma Chan was seen filming scenes in a modern setting recently. Chan’s Sersi still maintains her usual green color scheme through her jacket, but just appears to be on a stroll during this scene. In the comics, Sersi enjoys spending time with humanity and blending in with them - unlike her fellow Eternals. What exactly she is up to in this scene isn’t clear, but Chan’s modern, civilian look confirms that Eternals will venture into the present MCU too.

These set photos when combined with previous ones back up Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige’s statements that Eternals will span thousands of years. In this case, it’s possible that this is how Sersi chooses to live her life after centuries of superhero duties. Perhaps part of Eternals story is about her getting back into action, as we know she’ll do based on concept art of Sersi in a more traditional Eternals costume. That said, there’s also another distinctly possible explanation for Sersi’s present appearance, which could also explain why the Eternals haven’t been part of the MCU story until this point.

Back in 2006, writer Neil Gaiman relaunched the solo Eternals series for Marvel. In order to do this, he told a story where the main Eternals characters were alive on Earth, but they had no memory of their true lives or abilities. They believed that they were just normal humans, as a result of some trickery by one of their own. Even though Marvel Studios has used Kirby’s name a lot when discussing the inspiration behind Eternals, it’s possible that they’re also borrowing this storytelling device from Gaiman’s run. If so, then Sersi may not know in these photos that she’s an ancient, incredibly powerful being. The same could be true about her fellow Eternals, revealing why they didn’t lend a hand in some of Earth’s biggest events.

Clearly, there are a lot of possibilities with the story that Eternals can tell. As production continues on in several locations overseas, these are unlikely to be the final set photos from the movie that make their way online. Once more images do surface, then hopefully even more details on Eternals will arrive with them.

MORE: Marvel’s Eternals Is Hiding Its Villain: Here’s Who We Think It Is

Source: Twitter/@eternals2020

  • Black Widow Release Date: 2021-07-09 The Eternals Release Date: 2021-11-05 Shang Chi Release Date: 2021-09-03 Doctor Strange 2 Release Date: 2022-05-06 Thor: Love and Thunder Release Date: 2022-07-08 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Release Date: 2022-11-11