Eternals (2021)

Eternals, Marvel’s November 2021 film, was never released in China. The block is widely linked to its director, Chloé Zhao, who was born in Beijing and became a target of Chinese nationalists in 2021.

Key facts

• Status: denied a release in mainland China
• Released elsewhere: November 2021
• Director: Chloé Zhao, Oscar winner for Nomadland
• Official reason: none given

Why was Eternals not released in China?

Zhao’s troubles began in early 2021, when she was winning awards for Nomadland. An old 2013 interview resurfaced in which she described China as a place where there were “lies everywhere”. Chinese nationalists accused her of insulting the country, state media coverage of her Oscar win was muted, and Nomadland itself never got a release in China.

By then, Eternals was already in trouble. Chinese state television left the film off a list of upcoming Marvel releases months before its premiere, and some commentators also pointed to a same-sex kiss in the movie as a possible problem for censors.

How much did China’s block cost Eternals?

China is one of the world’s biggest film markets, and Marvel films had often earned some of their largest overseas totals there. Missing China meant Eternals relied entirely on other markets, at a time when cinemas were still recovering from the pandemic.

Is Eternals still banned in China?

Yes. Eternals has never been released in mainland China. Even after China ended its Marvel freeze in February 2023 by approving Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the 2021 titles stayed out. It was part of a three-year gap in which China approved no Marvel films, alongside Shang-Chi. Compare with Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was kept out over a single landmark rather than a director.