Eternals co-writer Ryan Firpo revealed during a recent interview with The Direct why the antagonist Druig’s characteristics were balanced out.
In the film, Druig, who usually focuses on using his powers — including psychic abilities — on getting ahead, was portrayed as an individual who can recognize the difference between right and wrong. Firpo disclosed that the change was because Druig could understand people from another perspective due to his skills in controlling human minds.
“Obviously, the Eternals are grappling with their faith in humanity over these thousands of years that they’ve been keeping watch. So when it comes to the ultimate debate, the group falls on one of two sides of that debate. With Druig in particular, if you think about his power, he spends so much time inside of humans’ minds, so he’s [basically going to] understand them on a level that’s deeper than a lot of the other Eternals, who just cannot achieve that perspective.”
He added, “And so I think that makes Druig a very tragic figure because he both loves humanity and he appreciates all their potential, but he also sees the dangers, and the downfalls of human nature, and witnesses those firsthand, and so he really feels humanity on a level that other people don’t.”
Firpo closed out his sentiments regarding Druig’s characteristics by stating that when Druig does get into human beings’ minds, his goal is to keep those individuals safe.
“So his desire to control humanity doesn’t come from a [megalomaniacal] place, he’s not doing it for a sense of power, he’s doing it from a place of love. I think that’s why you get that balance where what he’s doing is technically not very kosher, but he’s not doing it just to control these people and make them into slaves, he’s doing it to protect them. So I think that’s where you get that balance.”
Eternals is out in theaters now.
