A major recurring criticism of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since its inception is the notion that the franchise tends to hire filmmakers that can adhere to the established in-house style, as opposed to auteurs who can stamp a blockbuster comic book adaptation with their own sensibilities, which made the fate of Eternals all the more ironic.
Chloé Zhao became the first person to helm an MCU feature that had an Academy Award win for Best Director under their belt, one of two trophies she’d scooped for the acclaimed Nomadland. That made it nothing short of shocking when the millennia-spanning epic went down in the history books as the superhero saga’s worst-rated entry on Rotten Tomatoes, and the only one to fall below the Fresh threshold.