Harry Styles On Playing Marvel’s God of Love Starfox

In the first scene, Eros makes his presence known to the Eternals who remain at the end of the movie. The surprise reveal of Thanos’s much-smaller, not nearly as purple but just as powerful brother was outshined by who Marvel Studios cast in the role: Harry Styles.

Starfox, as the character is also named, has an extensive comic-book history with both the Eternals and the Avengers and could play a part in both film franchises if they continue. The cosmic being is known for romance and has been linked with Marvel’s She-Hulk in the comics. She-Hulk will be a new Disney Plus series starring Tatiana Maslany in the lead role, so that could also be a landing spot for Styles’s Starfox.

What won’t be known until we see Starfox again is whether he’s here to help or if he’s a villain like his brother. Starfox says in the post-credits scene that he’s here to assist with the Eternals’ interstellar battles. But can a relative of Thanos be trusted?

Polygon: In the mid-credits scene, Eternals Druig, Thena, and Makkari are hanging out in space in their ship, worrying about their compatriots, who were snatched off Earth by their angry robot overlord. Suddenly, Makkari and Thena sense something and go on the alert, just in time to see a character new to the MCU teleport in: Pip the Troll, who appears to be drunk, cheerful, and ready for his gig as hypeman to “the mighty Starfox.”

After a big enthusiastic verbal windup, Pip teleports Starfox — aka Eros, aka Thanos’ brother — onto the ship as well. The Eternals are poised to attack, but Starfox, played by Harry Styles, reassures them: “We’re here to help! Your friends are in a lot of trouble … and we know where to find them.” And he produces his own version of the little glowing cosmic-energy ball that Ajak and Sersi used to communicate with their Celestial creator Arishem, implying that he, too, is a mouthpiece for a Celestial.

In the comics, Eros is a carefree womanizer who lives life to hedonistic excess and never takes anything too seriously, in stark contrast to his brother, a conniving, manipulative schemer who’s literally in love with Death.

In the comics, Starfox’s powers feed into his personality — he’s an Eternal, the son of an Eternal from Earth and another from Saturn’s moon Titan. This gives him the general enhanced physiology of an Eternal: superhuman strength, speed, you know the drill. He can fly, manipulate gravity and matter, and regenerate, too. But his most notable power is his psychic ability, which enables him to stimulate the pleasure centers of people’s brains, making them aroused, euphoric, or even sedated.

While his superpower is inherently manipulative, Starfox tries his best to be a hero. But his abilities have often caused friction with teams he’s been part of, including the Avengers. His relationship with Thanos also places him in a position of immediate importance in the Marvel Universe, something the MCU is certain to replicate.

 

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Styles spoke about the role in the winter 2021 issue of DAZED just out:  In October, the Twitterverse erupted after Variety’s Matt Donnelly spotted Styles’ blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role as Eros in Eternals, the newest mega-movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao. Styles cautiously checks the publication date of this Dazed story before confirming his inclusion as the brother of villain Thanos. “I’m only in right at the very end,” he says humbly. “But who didn’t grow up wanting to be a superhero, you know? It was a great experience and I’m so grateful to have gotten to work with Chloé.”

 

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“I like to challenge myself and do something different and movies are definitely where I feel most out of my comfort zone,” he reflects. “I’m coming from music where I don’t think anyone really knows how it works, but I am somewhat in my comfort zone! But in movies, when I show up, I’m the new guy. I haven’t been (an actor) for a long time and that’s really cool, I feel like I’ve learned so much and life is about learning.”