ETERNALS Director Addresses Kingo's Big Decision And The Conflict At The Heart Of The Movie - SPOILERS

ETERNALS Director Addresses Kingo's Big Decision And The Conflict At The Heart Of The Movie - SPOILERS

Eternals director Chloé Zhao has weighed in on the big decision Kingo makes in the Marvel Studios movie, while better explaining the conflict that proves central to what plays out on screen. Check it out!

By JoshWilding - Nov 08, 2021 07:11 AM EST
Filed Under: Eternals
Source: Uproxx

During Eternals' final act, we learn that Ikaris knows all about the emergence of the Celestial Tiamut and has simply been trying to distract his fellow immortals with the Deviants so this event can happen as planned. This would result in Earth being destroyed, though the loss of life on that planet would lead to the creation of billions more on those Tiamut would be responsible for bringing into existence.

This left the Eternals with quite a moral quandary: If they stop the Celestial's birth and save Earth, then billions of beings will never live. However, if Tiamut is born, everyone on Earth would die. 

It's no great surprise that the heroes found themselves divided, though one very interesting creative decision saw Kingo decide to remove himself from the battle completely. While he agreed with Ikaris that the Celestial should be born, he wouldn't fight his friends in order to stop them from saving their home. Talking to Uproxx, director Chloé Zhao explained that key decision for the Eternal.

"That is one of my, personally, most important moments in the film. Because we would like to, through this film, the idea to challenge some of the foundations of this genre. We really do feel like we’re entering the revisionist stage of superhero genre – I think at the edge of it," she explains. "And the idea of black and white morality, the ideas of humans are automatically worth saving. What does strength look like? And also, the idea that you have to always punch your way through everything. You have to be violent physically to be heroic, as long as you’re on the right side."

"[Kingo] loves Earth, but he has strong beliefs, just like Ikaris," Zhao continues. "He’s no different than Ikaris in terms of his faith for the Celestials and believing in the greater good: The fact that human beings and Earth doesn’t have the right to break out of the natural order. He believes that. However, the big difference between him and Ikaris is that he might believe something personally, but he does not believe that he should hurt other people for his beliefs."

It's certainly insighful to get the filmmaker's take on this conflict between the Eternals, though if the critical response is anything to go by, some weren't ready for such heavy themes. As for Kingo, he was taken by Arishem alongside Sersi and Phastos to answer for their role in Tiamut's demise, so it will be interesting to see the way their different beliefs are addressed moving forward.

Eternals is now playing in theaters. 

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Chappers
Chappers - 11/8/2021, 7:33 AM
I actually liked this choice, the alternative is that the whole group fight at the end which is the same as every Team-up movie ever?

Finally something different happens and it gets negative reception.
It was unexpected that one of them would refuse to fight or be apart of the final act and we need more unexpected moments in movies
bobevanz
bobevanz - 11/8/2021, 7:34 AM
I need to watch this again! I'm mad this took away the Dune Imax showings but that's life lol
Henchman4Hire
Henchman4Hire - 11/8/2021, 7:44 AM
Alright, this explanation helps a bit. And I definitely see what she's going for. But I couldn't help but be gobsmacked that Kumail Nanjiani just takes himself out of the movie ahead of the grand finale. It felt weird. Like the actor had a scheduling conflict or something. Then there's that scene where all of them, including Ikaris and Sprite, form the Uni-mind and I couldn't help but wonder if Kingo was doing the same thing several thousand miles away and we just weren't seeing it.

I guess I just didn't want to lose the most charismatic actor in the movie.
Roodi
Roodi - 11/8/2021, 9:57 AM
@Henchman4Hire - He wasn't connected because he didn't have the bracelet needed for the uni-mind.
SonOfOdor
SonOfOdor - 11/8/2021, 11:58 AM
@Henchman4Hire - It definitely felt kind of odd when he just left. I was expecting him to change his mind and come back in the finale at some point to help, but he didn't lol

I get what she was going for and actually agree with the choice, but it did feel kind of...weird.
TheWalkingCuban
TheWalkingCuban - 11/8/2021, 7:49 AM
Maybe this is why so many critics didn’t like it. Maybe taking the hero out of superhero just leaves a bunch of super, for nothing. Just playing devils advocate, I liked the movie
Doomsday8888
Doomsday8888 - 11/8/2021, 8:00 AM
Hated it.

They also picked the wrong character to execute this idea of theirs.

Ffs, of aaaall the Eternals HE was the one with a butler.

A HUMAN dost.
He should've been assblasted af and willing to f*ck Ikaris, he was also one of the fighters that could legit take him (granted with some help but still).

Kya yaar...they did my hero dirty, mf got jacked up for NOTHING*.

*oh sorry, that Bollywood song, smdh....
FishyZombie
FishyZombie - 11/8/2021, 8:11 AM
@Doomsday8888 - He may have loved his friends and human culture, but like Ikarus he still basically worshiped Arishem. Lot of fanatics choose their faith over their loved ones.
FishyZombie
FishyZombie - 11/8/2021, 8:03 AM
I liked how all the characters reacted to the big dilliema at the end. In that unlike Thano's mostly crazy plan, the Celestials are kinda justified if they have a working cycle of life and death that prevents heat death. Maybe if it was the real earth, but MCU's earth just saved half the universe (did that include half the celestials?) That version probably deserved a break.
PerrinNation1
PerrinNation1 - 11/9/2021, 6:42 AM
@FishyZombie - Safe to assume that Celestials…just like the Eternals…were immune from the Snap
Fares
Fares - 11/8/2021, 8:05 AM
This was one of my favorite aspects of the film, so I applaud them for choosing this direction. I even liked how Karun didn't turn on Kingo because of it either.
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 11/8/2021, 8:46 AM
Sucked how he just left. Really lost respect for the character. I know he was a movie star and was suppose to be a diva but man, that was not cool💁
cocaegelo
cocaegelo - 11/8/2021, 9:08 AM
I really liked how they portrayed Kingo's powers in the movie, my problem with him not fighting Ikaris was just because I really liked his powers - It was a little bit of Yusuke from Yu Yu Hakusho hahaha.
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 11/8/2021, 9:19 AM
@cocaegelo - even did a little spirit cannon when he charged it up
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 11/8/2021, 9:21 AM
Tbh I forgot kingo had bounced because I expected him to show back up to help. At the end of fight it dawned on me that he really just went home
Mr2099
Mr2099 - 11/8/2021, 11:34 PM
@ShimmyShimmyYA - He stuck by his beliefs and I'm kinda surprised they didn't have him back track on that just to have him show up
Roodi
Roodi - 11/8/2021, 9:58 AM
Loved that this happened.
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 11/8/2021, 10:05 AM
It was disappointing to have his character sidelined at the end because I thought it would’ve been one of those moments where he would finally go against Ikaris and we would have a kind of a stand up to someone you’ve always respected moments. But we got a different kind of stand up for your beliefs moment.
I was routing for him to be the new tough guy of the group.
abd00bie
abd00bie - 11/8/2021, 10:37 AM
@slickrickdesigns - It felt like a Rogue takes the cure moment lol
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 11/8/2021, 10:40 AM
@abd00bie - more like a Captain Marvel missing in in almost every big fight ever moment. Only shows up last second in endgame.
abd00bie
abd00bie - 11/8/2021, 10:06 AM
His valet looking at him for not trying to stop the Emergence lol
McMurdo
McMurdo - 11/8/2021, 10:31 AM
God this movie was bad. From a script standpoint, characterization standpoint, Jesus [frick] definitely on a pure entertainment standpoint as well.
Ahhh
Ahhh - 11/8/2021, 10:49 AM
@McMurdo - Lmao it was boring. But it wasn't that [frick]ing bad. Sound like a teenager.
mrbaconsock
mrbaconsock - 11/8/2021, 10:39 AM
I like that idea, but for a supposed drama film, that moment should have been more dramatic.

Saw the movie over the weekend and I honest to god don’t even remember that moment. I honestly didn’t even notice or remember that he wasn’t there for the final fight.
JediKnight91
JediKnight91 - 11/8/2021, 10:58 AM
I think the movie was total bullshit. It’s not that deep, despite what Hollywood shills want you to believe.
GwenLantern
GwenLantern - 11/8/2021, 10:59 AM
I wonder if there was a connection between the Ten Rings in Eternals and the Ten Rings from Shang Chi.

Maybe a previous incarnation of these 10 Eternals also formed a Uni-Mind and their rings were found by The Mandarin.
Armageddon26
Armageddon26 - 11/8/2021, 11:21 AM
Kingo’s conflict and beliefs I thought were clearly explained and justified in the movie, it’s strange that so many people didn’t understand it (and many critics complained about him exiting before the third act battle). It was a unique and interesting way to show the ideological differences of the team and to really understand the justification that Ikaris had in his head. One of my favorite parts of the movie tbh
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