Why Pip The Troll From Marvel's Eternals Sounds So Familiar
Marvel's "Eternals" is finally in theaters for the world to enjoy, and the ending has left fans with several unanswered questions. Considering that "Eternals" aims to cover several characters' origin stories, introduces all-new information about beings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and includes multiple Easter eggs for the most devoted Marvel fans to seek out, "Eternals" manages to accomplish a lot in its 2-and-a-half-hour run.
Aside from the jam-packed film's plot, "Eternals" features two post-credits scenes that set up tons more to come in possible sequels. The first of the post-credits sequences introduces Eros, Thanos' brother, who will be played in upcoming films by — spoiler alert — Harry Styles. That same scene also introduces us to Pip the Troll, Eros' quirky assistant with a very recognizable voice. If you thought you recognized the voice actor's cadence, chances are, you've heard it tons of times in other projects. Here's why it sounds so familiar.
Patton Oswalt is an accomplished comedian
The voice of Pip the Troll belongs to Patton Oswalt, a comedian who's appeared in dozens of notable roles over the last 30-ish years. In an interview with GQ, Oswalt noted the exact date that he started performing stand-up comedy — July 18, 1988 — after which he eventually transitioned to film and television.
Aside from his many voice acting roles, Oswalt has had parts on TV shows including "The King of Queens" as Spence Olchin; "The United States of Tara" as Neil; "Veep" as Teddy Sykes; and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" as J. Castleman. Oswalt has also appeared in several films throughout the years, such as "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World," "Young Adult," and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."
Oswalt has been nominated for several awards throughout his career and won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for his comedy special "Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping" (per IMDb). His accomplishments don't stop there — he's also lent his comedic talents to tons of animated projects over the years.
Patton Oswalt cooked up a masterpiece in Ratatouille
Oswalt's first starring role in a film was in the 2007 animated film "Ratatouille," where he voiced the lead character Remy, a rat with ambitions to become a world-famous chef. Thanks to his powerful sense of smell and time spent watching cooking shows, Remy has a natural talent for cooking — but obviously due to his non-human body, he can't exactly apply for a traditional chef job. When Remy meets the awkward Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano), who works at Remy's idol's restaurant, he realizes he can cook by hiding under his hat and pulling his hair, and thus starts the unlikely pair's friendship.
In an interview with Deadline, Oswalt discussed his time playing Remy, and what he ultimately learned from the experience. "'Ratatouille' definitely taught me just to relax and trust my voice a little bit because I was in there, I said, 'I'm going to bring a voice to this. I've got to bring a character to this,'" he explained. "They're like, 'No, you can just use your own voice. We just want you to talk like yourself and to do that and see it like work.' That just was really, really gratifying and filled me with a lot of confidence for future jobs."
Additionally, Oswalt expressed his enthusiasm to return to the role of Remy in any future "Ratatouille" project — though as of now, there hasn't been any news on the topic.
Patton Oswalt is no stranger to the MCU
Aside from his role as Remy, Oswalt has lent his voice to dozens of other projects. Some of his many voiceover roles include Nom Nom in the animated series "We Bare Bears," Professor Dementor in "Kim Possible," and the voiceover narration for "The Goldbergs," where he plays the adult version of Adam Goldberg.
One of Oswalt's most recent roles is yet another Marvel project. In May of 2021, the animated Hulu series "M.O.D.O.K." premiered, where Oswalt voices the titular lead character. The stop-motion comedy centers M.O.D.O.K., a failed super-villain, as he deals with both an existential crisis and normal family drama.
The hilarious series premiered after Oswalt wrapped on the HBO series "I'll Be Gone in the Dark," based on his late wife's true crime novel, and he spoke to Inverse about how the shift in genre helped him cope with his loss. "For me, it was a relief," he said. "I needed to come out. I've been so sunk in that darkness and despair that to come out and play in the Marvel toy box, and do it in such a goofy way, it was a life-saver. Even some of the Marvel movies and TV shows can get dark and deep. So this was really fun. Even the deep moments are motivated by the silliest stuff. I needed it."