Eternals’ Lauren Ridloff Cried Seeing Sign Language Used In MCU Movie
Eternals star Lauren Ridloff details her reaction to seeing her character use sign language with her fellow cast members in the new Marvel movie.
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Lauren Ridloff, who plays Makkari in Marvel Studios’ Eternals, has opened up on her emotional reaction to seeing ASL (American Sign Language) portrayed in the new film. Eternals, directed by academy award winner Chloé Zhao, is the latest release from Marvel Studios with this being their 26th film in the series after numerous delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite numerous leaks and early reviews placing the film as the only MCU project to score negatively on Rotten Tomatoes, anticipation for the film appears strong with a projected $75 million opening weekend.
One member of the titular group has attracted particular interest. Makkari, an Eternal who has focused her power into possessing super-human speed, is played by The Walking Dead actor Lauren Ridloff. Whereas Makkari was portrayed as a white man in Jack Kirby’s original comics, Ridloff’s casting has altered this interpretation of the character to be a woman of color. As Ridloff was born deaf, this too has been incorporated into the character in a move that has been widely supported by audiences and commentators and backed up by Marvel Comics as Makkari’s comic incarnation has been adjusted to match Ridloff’s portrayal.
Variety has reported what Ridloff’s reaction was to seeing her character use ASL in the film with stars such as Angelina Jolie and Kumail Nanjiani. The actor was overwhelmed with emotion seeing sign language being used as a standard means of communication between Marvel superheroes, quoted as shedding “tears of joy.” She also took time to reflect on what this representation might mean for the massive audience who will show up to see Eternals. Speaking to the outlet, she said:
“It was definitely life changing. And I hope that this has the same impact on different communities, people who have been marginalized or are underrepresented in this industry.”
Deaf and hard-of-hearing characters have not received an incredible amount of representation throughout film history, though Eternals is indicative of how the landscape is changing to rectify this. Recent blockbusters such as A Quiet Place and Baby Driver have featured leading characters who are hard of hearing and/or fluent in sign language and Sally Hawkins received critical acclaim for her portrayal of a mute character able to express via sign language in the 2018 best picture winner, The Shape of Water. Ridloff won’t be an anomaly within the MCU as the upcoming Hawkeye series will introduce Alaqua Cox as deaf superhero Echo, as well as incorporate Clint Barton’s deafness from the comics.
Eternals is set to be one of Marvel’s most inclusive films to date, as part of Zhao’s attempts to diversify the cast, and reflects an attitude that the studio has brought to the forefront in its recent output. Their 2021 projects alone have seen Loki confirm the God of Mischief as bisexual and Sam Wilson wrestle with what it means for a black man to take up the mantle of Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Solider. There has been some criticism that these steps are not enough from an arm of the powerful Walt Disney corporation, with Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies criticizing Loki’s coming out in a single line of dialogue as a “pathetic” and “feeble gesture” towards LGBTQ+ representation. While there may still be further for the studio to go, Ridloff’s meaningful reaction to her character indicates that Marvel is certainly heading in a more inclusive direction to better speak to their audience.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/eternals-movie-lauren-ridloff-sign-language-reaction-emotional/