Chloé Zhao’s Eternals, the 26th Marvel Studios feature and 30th overall production in the MCU’s history, is set to hit theatres in just a few weeks. With a cast that includes a slew of Hollywood heavy hitters and a groundbreaking approach to visual storytelling, anticipation for this film is high.

Eternals recently had its world debut in Hollywood, California, and the anticipation is growing thanks to positive reviews from critics at major media sources around the United States. Several trailers have already given fans hints about what to anticipate in the storyline, and this is just the latest in Marvel’s marketing campaign for the film.

For instance, one scene in which Phastos’ son Ikaris makes a comparison to the DC superhero Superman because of their similar superhuman abilities has fans curious about where it fits in the film. This name-dropping confirmed what Chloé Zhao had previously hinted at during her press rounds: heroes from DC’s catalog exist in some manner within the MCU.

Superman In The MCU?

Chloé Zhao, the director of Eternals, spoke with ComicBook.com on the film’s decision to incorporate references to DC heroes like Superman and Batman into the MCU.

It was Zhao who put this in, highlighting how characters like Superman are based on “tales about mythology” that exist in our reality. Movies about these heroes, even though they are set in a different universe from Marvel’s, Zhao said, present the myths from the comics in “a modern perspective”

“I take some responsibility for that. I think we’re in the business of telling stories about mythology, and Superman, for example, comes from origin of mythology. In many different cultures, there’s a form of Superman. And the people that created Superman and the brilliant filmmakers [who] brought Superman to screen, their movies are basically, in my opinion, doing a modern interpretation of that mythology.”

Despite the Marvel/DC divide, Zhao argues that the MCU can “pay respect” to fictional characters who don’t exist in the real world. Here’s what she further went on to say:

“It doesn’t mean we can’t pay tribute and have a good time with these iconic ones that we all love to so much. I mean, who doesn’t love Superman and Batman? Clearly our Eternals like them.”

Crossover in Marvel’s Eternals?

As evidenced by several other occasions, especially from the Infinity Saga, the MCU is no stranger to referencing real-world pop cultural trends. Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, in both the Spider-Man solo movies and Captain America: Civil War, validates his place in the Star Wars fandom.

Phastos’ son compares Ikaris to Superman because both characters can fly and fire lasers from their eyes in Eternals. Only one DC allusion has been made official thus far, but Zhao has no difficulty paying homage to the work done by the DC Comics creative team no matter what cinematic universe she’s working in.

It will be interesting to see how the movie handles the rest of that sequence and if any other significant franchises, such as Star Wars, will be referenced. Whatever happens, the MCU will continue to cast a light on other tales in various ways. This has been a longstanding trend.