Among Marvel Studios' vast collection of comics-to-film adaptations, the 2021 ensemble epicEternalsis somewhat of an anomaly, and itsfuture on the big screen remains uncertain. Oscar nomineeBrian Tyree Henryis just one of the big names who helped bring a certain group of alien immortals to life for the sprawling 156-minute feature directed by Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao. Henry was one of the fan-favorites as Phastos, a genius inventor of weapons and related technologies for the Eternals amid their quest to save the universe from mass destruction.
MovieWeb recently caught up with Henry at the Los Angeles junket for his latest acclaimed filmThe Fire Inside, where the talented performer also took time to weigh in on Marvel’s plans for the franchise’s future and if he’d ever welcome a return to the favorable character for a future film or even TV series.
“Look, I was able to live out a dream by being a Marvel superhero — and not only a Marvel superhero, a Black Marvel superhero that didn’t just exist in Wakanda,” Henry told us. “So I was, like, very excited about that. Look, Marvel does some great storytelling. They literally break down bridges all the time. And so, of course, if they asked me back, I would happily go.” Henry continued:
“After seeing [Deadpool & Wolverine], I’m like, ‘I don’t know, are we getting more raunchy, Marvel?’ Because I’m open to that, too. I’m totally open to that. But I’ve had such a wonderful time there. I would happily come back and reprise Phastos. I would happily join up again. But it’s interesting, it’s going to be fun to see where they go, because I don’t know what phase we’re on now. But if Kevin Feige wants me to be back, I’ll happily come back.”
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Weaving “Levity” Into The Fire Inside
In the meantime, Henry expectedly steals his scenes inThe Fire Inside, portraying the real-life coach of two-time gold medalist boxer Claressa Shields (played byGrown-ishstar Ryan Destiny). It’s a remarkably inspiring sports dramadirected by Rachel Morrison(DP ofBlack Panther) and written by Oscar winnerBarry Jenkins (Mufasa: The Lion King).
“It was very important for me to establish who we were in between takes, rather than what was happening when they said ‘action’ because, you know, what was being asked of Ryan was monumental,” said Henry regarding his behind-the-scenes rapport with his young co-star. “She’s literally stepping into the shoes of a two-time gold medalist boxer. So you could have endless days, of 12 hours of her in the ring doing hit after hit, and then, you know, screaming at her. Or you have the emotional weight that she has to carry when she’s at home with her mother.”
“I want to always make sure that there’s levity… because we’re telling the story of real people. You want to honor that — but also, we’re real people, too,” explained Henry, who continued:
“And I wanted to make sure that Ryan knew I was a place of safety, first and foremost, where she could, you know, let her hair down or could have a laugh, or just take a little bit of the weight off, which I think is what coaches do with their athletes, too. Because at the end of the day, the coaches know them in and out… They’re the ones who hold the secrets. They’re the ones who hold the key. And so I wanted Ryan to feel like that with me as well.”
From Amazon MGM Studios,The Fire Insidewill be released in theaters on Christmas Day.
The Fire Inside
The story of Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields, a boxer from Flint, Michigan who trained to become the first woman in her country’s history to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.
