Will Harry Styles continue acting? Former One Direction singer's 5-film deal with Marvel explored

Harry Styles was signed by Christopher Nolan for his first-ever acting role in a big-budget film, the World War II feature Dunkirk. The One Direction star's next few films were reportedly proven underwhelming, both at the box office and in critical reviews.

However, The Sun reported on 29 July 2022 that he signed a five-film contract with Marvel Studios in 2022 to play the Eternals character, Eros. Originally named Starfox, Harry Styles' character does not appear in the film until the post-credits scene.

MCU President Kevin Feige has alluded to Starfox's character in the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con and has also promised significant character development of Thanos' brother in MCU's subsequent films. However, it is not clear, as of this writing, if the character will be attached to the Eternals or will get a standalone film exploring his backstory.

In a 2022 interview with MTV, Kevin Feige also explained that Marvel Studios wants to build on the adventures of Eros and his sidekick, Pip.

"Yes. The adventures of Eros and Pip is something that is very exciting for us," explained Feige.

CinemaCon 2024 - Walt Disney Studios Presentation (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)

Eros is one of the genetically engineered Eternals who was forged by Arishem the Judge and was placed on the planet Titan, where he was adopted by Thanos as his brother. Despite the royal adoption, Eros decided to reject all ideals of Titan and become a carefree space outlaw and later was given the name Starfox.

The character also created Pip the Troll to aid him in his adventures. One fine day, he discovered another group of Eternals who had also fled Titan. Eros joined the group, which made it their mission to find all other Eternals who had fled their maker and were roaming in space.

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"Harry was perfect for this part" - Cristopher Nolan on Harry Styles' role in Dunkirk

Many fans of the Oscar-winning director were surprised when he cast Harry Styles in his World War II period film, Dunkirk. However, Nolan believed in Harry Styles' potential and even went on to compare the One Direction star's casting with that of Heath Ledger in his iconic The Dark Knight film.

In a July 2017 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Cristopher Nolan said:

“When I cast Heath Ledger as the Joker [in The Dark Knight], it raised a lot of eyebrows and caused a lot of comment. I have to trust my instincts, and Harry was perfect for this part.”

"Oppenheimer" Premiere At Cinema Le Grand Rex (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

In the film, Styles played the role of Alex, a young British soldier caught in the crossfire of the battle of Dunkirk. Styles' performance was raved by critics and fans for the emotional depth and uniqueness that he established in the film with his character.

After 2021's Eternals, Harry Styles got another big role the next year when he starred in Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling. The psychological thriller features an ensemble cast including Florence Pugh and Chris Pine.

This wasn't the end of Styles' acting exploits in 2022, as he starred in another film, My Policeman, which was released in October. The film featured an era when being gay was considered illegal and a massive taboo. Harry Styles played the role of a gay man fighting for his survival. Both of which received average to poor critical reviews.

The musician-turned-actor's work on the big screen has only begun and it seems that there's a lot more that is yet to come from him. Stay tuned for more updates.