Warning: this contains spoilers for Marvel's Eternals, as well as the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe.
If you've seen Eternals already, then you know Harry Styles makes a surprising appearance in the film's post-credits scene. The 'Watermelon Sugar' singer pops up briefly as Eros, brother of fallen End Game villain Thanos. While making an appearance on the Phase Zero podcast, Eternals producer Nate Moore revealed why taking on the role was a "big leap of faith" for Styles.
When it came to casting Styles, especially as this particular character, it was a no-brainer for Moore. "You're just like, 'I love this guy. I love this guy. I don't know what it is. I love him,'" Moore said. "He's funny. He's charming. He's nice to everybody. He is kind of Eros. And so, it was an easy conversation."
"I think for him, it's a bigger risk for Harry Styles to be in this movie than for us to cast Harry Styles. Because he has such a specific fan base and he's a musician, and now he's becoming an actor, but that's not necessarily his core thing," Moore explained. "And to take a flyer on this really random character that he also knows is vaguely problematic, I think was sort of a bigger leap of faith for him. But I think the notion of Eros in the MCU going forward is so much fun. It's totally worth it"
While chatting with Deadline after the film premiered, Eternals director Chloe Zhao revealed she's actually had her eye on Styles for a few years now. “Harry as Eros was very much a package deal for me,” she explained. “I pitched the idea of Pip the Troll and Eros to Kevin (Feige) awhile back and I love the idea of exploring an Eternal who is beyond Titan and who may have influenced Thanos throughout the years the same way Eternals influenced us, earthlings.”
“And then, it wasn’t like I suggested Eros, and let’s go find actors. I kept tabs on Harry since Dunkirk, I thought he was very interesting," she continued. "After meeting him I realized 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 Kevins ays yes then it’s a go. And I’m very happy they both did.”
Little else is known about Styles' larger role in the MCU at this time. Some fans speculate, however, he will also appear in the upcoming third installment of Guardians of the Galaxy.