Marvel Rushing Pip’s Eternals Debut Supports Phase 4 Return Theory

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Marvel Studios rushing Pip the Troll's debut for Eternals supports theories he'll return imminently in Phase 4. Those who stayed through the credits of Chloé Zhao's Marvel Cinematic Universe movie were treated to a few surprises. Eternals' mid-credits scene brought Thanos' brother Starfox (Harry Styles) to the MCU, but it also featured the surprise debut of Pip the Troll, played by Patton Oswalt. Pip's MCU debut generated a lot of conversations, such as the poor VFX design and if he'd return in another Phase 4 project.

Since Eternals' release, it has become quite clear that Marvel Studios rushed to add Pip the Troll at the last minute. Patton Oswalt did the motion-capture performance for the character during reshoots as Marvel decided to include him late in the game. Various VFX people who worked on Eternals, such as Eternals' VFX Supervisor Stephane Ceretti and WETA Digital VFX Supervisor Matt Aitken, have confirmed that Pip's Eternals debut was rushed. They didn't reveal exactly when the final decision came for Pip the Troll to be included, but it seems to have come quite late in the post-production process. Regardless of the exact timing, there's no question Marvel made a conscious decision to rush Pip's debut.

Related: Pip The Troll Is Another MCU Effects Disaster (& They're Getting Worse)

At first glance, it is odd that Marvel Studios would go to such lengths to include Pip the Troll in Eternals. Pip is an entirely CGI-created character, so rushing his introduction directly led to the poor character design and VFX work that audiences have criticized. He also didn't have that big of a role to play in the scene either, as Pip's entire purpose was giving a prince's introduction for Starfox. Eternals' mid-credits scene