Back in June, I texted my boyfriend, “Harry Styles is joining the MCU?!” This was purely a Twitter rumor at the time, and not much came of it after a few days. At the time, my relationship was very new so this conversation turned into me thoroughly explaining my love affair for Harry Styles, and admitting I had never watched any of the Marvel movies – aside from Spider-man, and obviously only because of Tom Holland. I joked that if there was a chance that Harry would be joining the universe, I better get caught up fast. This turned into my boyfriend, who is an avid Marvel fan, insisting I watch every movie.
It took us about four months to catch me up to Marvel’s current phase. I enjoyed most of the movies, but it took until Infinity War for me to be invested in the characters and their stories. I likely will not rewatch any of the early movies unless prompted by someone else, they were good but I do not feel the need to see them more than once. That being said, by End Game I was fully invested – the end of the movie left me sobbing for at least an hour and It’s Been a Long Time has become one of my favorite love songs, still easily brings me to tears. I have been enjoying the TV shows as well as the newer movies, and even saw Shang Chi in theaters. (side note: going to the movies for the first time post-pandemic was extremely weird!)
So now we are caught up to the present day. Critics confirmed that Harry is in the end-credit scene of Eternals and I am more invested in the MCU than ever before. My boyfriend and I went to see it less than 24 hours since it opened – Friday night. At this point TikTok spoiled the scene for me, I had seen it a half dozen times but was definitely not prepared. This was my first time seeing Harry on the big screen, as I did not see Dunkirk in theaters, and I had anticipated this moment would be when Don’t Worry Darling comes out, again I was unprepared. Another preface I should add, I have been a fan of Harry for a decade, so far to the point that I only refer to him by his first name, as if we are close friends.
The movie was great but the entire time all I could think about was seeing Harry soon. The credits began to roll and my boyfriend was trying to ask me what I thought of the movie and share his excitement towards the new heroes, but I was completely ignoring him and staring at the white words on the black screen waiting. The scene starts and I immediately start squeezing his hand, 30 seconds need to go by for Harry to be on the screen. The second I see Harry’s face, I immediately say “Jesus Christ, oh God” and put my hands on my cheeks. My mouth is wide open and my eyes may as well be falling out of my head, the scene ends and I turn to my boyfriend with the biggest smile. It was the most exhilarating two minutes of the entire movie, I completely zoned out during the second end-credit scene, my brain was only interested in thinking about Harry.
Now that I have digested it a bit, here is what I think about him joining the MCU. Those two minutes, for me, were not an introduction to a new Marvel character, they were Harry Styles in a superhero outfit, flirting with Angelina Jolie and saying something about the other characters. As much as I love that he is playing Eros, brother of Thanos, sharing a name with the Greek God of love and desire, I think I will always see Harry on the screen. Truthfully, I do not know if I will recognize any of his characters separate from his superstar persona. I love Dunkirk, partially because I am a history buff, and watching it I think “oh look it’s Harry as a WWII soldier.” I have seen it a dozen times and could not tell someone what his character’s name is. His acting is great, but I cannot get beyond the identity I associate with his face. The fact that he won’t be in face-altering makeup means I will see superhero Harry, not the character Eros. I assume many Harry fans would agree; I feel proud of him and this new success and career path, however, I will not be able to separate his music and acting personas. I want to stay optimistic that the full-length movies will be different, and I can fully immerse myself in the fiction. However, based on the end-credit scene I am doubtful. My boyfriend appreciates the enthusiasm Harry adds for me regarding Marvel, and we definitely will be there on the opening night of Eternals 2. And if you have not seen Harry in his superhero costume, please go find a photo immediately!