Eternals director always wanted Harry Styles for Eros

Chloe Zhao says she’d been interested in Styles since ‘Dunkirk’

Eternals director, Chloe Zhao, has said that she always wanted Harry Styles to play Eros in the Marvel blockbuster.

The former One Direction singer appears as the brother of Thanos in a mid-credits sequence alongside Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani and others from the main cast.

Zhao told Deadline: “Harry as Eros was very much a package deal for me. I kept tabs on Harry since Dunkirk, I thought he was very interesting.”

The Oscar winner added: “After meeting him I realised he is that character – the same way I cast the rest of my cast. There’s so much of Eros in him. For me, if he says yes and Kevin says yes then it’s a go. And I’m very happy they both did.”

Eternals is the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film tells the story of an immortal alien race that comes out of hiding to protect Earth from the evil Deviants.

As well as Jolie and Nanjiani, the cast of Eternals features former Game of Thrones stars Richard Madden and Kit Harrington, as well as Salma Hayek.

Eternals has received mostly mixed reviews and has become the lowest rated MCU film on Rotten Tomatoes.

Harry Styles reveals meaning of Watermelon Sugar (Helene Marie Pambrun via Getty I)

The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey gave the film three stars and said: If Marvel wants to change up its game, it’s going to take a hell of a lot more than simply hiring the hottest indie talent around and slotting them into the same old system.”