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Eternals: 2015 Series Effort Would've Been "Good Version": John Ridley

Writer/director John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) shared details on his efforts in 2015 to bring a "good version" of Eternals to ABC as a series.

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Article Summary

  • John Ridley discussed his unrealized 2015 Eternals series on the Comic Book Club podcast.
  • Ridley described his version as "good" and "f***ing weird".
  • The would-be ABC series pilot featured an intense opener with a drill and a foil-covered sleeper.
  • The writer/director reflected on the pilot's reception and his views on it, years later.

Outside of the Marvel Comics universe? When you hear "Eternals," the first thing that comes to mind is Marvel Studios & Director/co-screenwriter Chloé Zhao's Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie-starring 2021 film. But back in 2015 – when the Marvel live-action, small-screen universe was flowing with shows like Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Netflix's Marvel shows (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, etc.) – we didn't have Marvel Studios & Kevin Feige yet. It was Marvel Television, a branch of Marvel Entertainment. And it was during that time that we came pretty damn close to getting an "Eternals" series – a topic that Academy Award-winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Godfather of Harlem) discussed on the Comic Book Club podcast.

Eternals: Chloé Zhao Was Influenced By Denis Villeneuve's Films
(L-R): Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), Gilgamesh (Don Lee), Thena (Angelina Jolie), Ikaris (Richard Madden), Ajak (Salma Hayek), Sersi (Gemma Chan), Sprite (Lia McHugh), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) and Druig (Barry Keoghan) in Marvel Studios' ETERNALS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

"My version was the good version. It was so f***ing weird. There was my version, a good version, which is good to me, which – that doesn't mean anything. There was the version that [Marvel] ended up doing, which I don't think… that version was particularly good. I'll be honest," Ridley shared during the interview, revealing that an effort was underway to bring the characters to ABC back in 2015 – and making it clear that he's no fan of the direction that Marvel Studios went. To back up his point, the writer/director shared some details on how the pilot would've opened to offer a sense of the "weird" direction that they were going in.

"My version started with, the first thing you see is a young man, probably about 18 years old, and he's sitting there. He's sitting there for a moment. And then he lifts his hands. He has a drill in it. And he turns the drill on. And he puts the drill to his ear. And he starts pushing it in. And then it goes from there," Ridley revealed – definitely an attention-grabber. But there's more. "That's the start, right? That's how it starts. And then I think you see… another kid… He sleeps in the bathtub, covers himself with foil. It's just a really weird story about these people who are, I mean, it's just weird," Ridley added.

Here's a look at the complete episode, where Ridley also shares the reaction his take received as well as his own thoughts on all of it, nine years removed:

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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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