LAUREN RIDLOFF

A first for the filmmaking juggernaut, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) introduced its first hearing-impaired character in Chloe Zhao’s “Eternals” in theatres on Nov. 5. Makkari, played by “The Walking Dead” alum Lauren Ridloff, is a primary member of Jack Kirby’s original groupings of the team. In Zhao’s first film since her award-winning “Nomadland,” the character reintroduces a speedster element that the MCU has not used since Quicksilver. Ridloff won’t stand alone as the representation for the Deaf community in the MCU for long. Lynn Miskiel, Director of the University of Miami Debbie School Auditory Oral Program, works frequently with children who are deaf and hard of hearing.

“Eternals,” one of Marvel’s most ambitious efforts to expand its superhero universe, arrived in theaters over the weekend with an estimated $71 million in ticket sales.

At 55, Salma Hayek says she came to feel like the mother of some castmates in “Eternals,” the latest Marvel superhero movie co-starring Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani and others.

Zhao, who won two Oscars for ‘Nomadland,” has made a Marvel movie her way.

In Chloé Zhao’s “Eternals,” Ridloff plays the first deaf superhero in Marvel’s “cinematic universe.”.

The rest of Disney's 2021 slate will all arrive in theaters exclusively, the company said Friday.