Eternalshas, unfortunately, become a bit of a punchline, or at least been deemed one of the more entries in the MCU. It doesn’t help that it was released during a time when moviegoers were very hesitant to return to theaters given the state of the pandemic. DirectorChloé Zhao, joining the MCU right after receiving an Academy Award for Best Director, brought an auteur’s perspective to a franchise finding its footing in the newly born Multiverse Saga. Despite a mixed reception,Eternalscannot be accused of being unoriginal. We were accustomed to the slow build of the MCU’s ensembles, accumulating across multiple years beforeThe Avengersand its successors became the flagship of the films.
InEternals, we meet an ancient group far into their existence, sent to Earth under false pretenses by the Celestials. Ajak (Salma Hayek) leads the group, with Sersi (Gemma Chan) and Ikaris (Richard Madden) acting closely by her side. The group of ten is rounded out by Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), Druig (Barry Keoghan), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), Thena (Angelina Jolie), Gilgamesh (Ma Dong-seok), and Sprite (Lia McHugh), exhibiting a wide array of unique, while impressively cohesive, supernatural skill sets.Despite the grandeur and endless possibilities presented,hope for anEternalssequel looks grim, and that couldn’t possibly be more of a shame.
The saga of the Eternals, a race of immortal beings who lived on Earth and shaped its history and civilizations.
Kevin Feige Gave a Disappointing Update on ‘Eternals 2’
“There are no immediate plans forEternals 2,“Marvel Studios bossKevin Feigerecently explained. “There are, and I think you’ve seen maybe in a trailer we’ve released recently, an acknowledgment of some of those events. Certain giant things came out of the ocean.” Feige is, of course, referring to the behemoth Celestial that emerged from the sea depths at the end ofEternals, which will be a subject of interest inCaptain America: Brave New World. The MCU has been treading somewhat unsteady waters post-Avengers: Endgame, so much so thatDeadpool & Wolverinedidn’t shy awayfrom a few quips at the Multiverse Saga’s expense. “It’s just been miss after miss,” as Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) so bluntly claimed.
Marvel Studios has made a point of correcting course in the caliber of its recent projects, initiating reshoots andpublicly promising a shifttoward quality over quantity. The criticism towards Phases 4 and 5 of the MCU may be widespread, if not disproportionally vocal, but its validity remains debatable. Regardless, the support forEternalsthat’s bubbled to the surface since this disappointing update is, at the very least, an encouraging sign. “No immediate plans” is vastly easier to swallow than an outright “never.”
‘Eternals’ Director Chloé Zhao Brought a Breath of Fresh Air to the MCU
Oh, the vision of Chloé Zhao. Soon after makingNomadlandandearning her that Oscar, she brought her touch to the MCU. (Nomadlandscored wins for Best Picture and Best Actress forFrances McDormand, too.) WithEternals, it felt likeshe wasrightfully given the freedomto visually and tonally step outside the formula of the usual superhero film. Slow, somber storytelling connects the threads ofEternals, spanning multiple centuries in what feels like an epic of old mythology. In a post-Game of Thronesworld, it felt like a return to the serious, pseudo-medieval narratives we’d been missing – certainly something that had been missing from the MCU. Kingo’s character and his adorable friend Karun (Harish Patel) provided welcome comedic relief. Still, the overall grandeur and heavier tones hearkened to the early days of the MCU, when the original narrative was building to Thanos (Josh Brolin). Somehow,Eternals, more fantasy-driven than most MCU ventures, provided much-needed grounding – a testament to Zhao’s sensibility.
Shot usingreal locations and almost entirely natural lighting,Eternalsaccepted the burden of establishing a great deal of backstory, all while tasked withjustifying the Eternals' absencefrom the Infinity Saga and the war with Thanos. The execution may not have aligned with everyone’s tastes, but the choices were bold, brave, and worthy of revisiting. Even amid a bloated runtime,the performances alonedeserve reprisals, and the visualization of their power sets are some of the best adapted from a comic. Makkari’s speed, anyone?
‘Eternals’ Sets Up So Much That Needs To Be Resolved
If nothing else, theEternalsroster deserves heavy involvement infuture group outings, especially since a great deal of setup came fromEternals. Tiamut, the Celestial forming inside Earth, may have been killed before his birth destroyed the planet, but the great Celestial Arishem (David Kaye) still has his judgment to enact. Sersi used her power to transform Tiamut into a new, solidified substance, killing him and leaving his half-revealed corpse in the ocean. However, Sersi and the others aren’t off the hook. Arishem, in a visually stunning (gloriously and uncharacteristically discomforting for the MCU) display,intercepted Sersi, Kingo, and Phastos and promised retribution for their betrayal.The other half of the remaining Eternals — Druig, Makkari, and Thena — are adrift in space on their ship, unaware of their friends' whereabouts. Too much effort, on the part of the creative team and the actors, has been effectively exerted, leading us to care for these characters, for their fates to go unknown.
It’s Time to Admit ‘The Marvels’ Box Office Was Treated Unfairly
‘The Marvels’ never got a fair shot at the box office. Period.
The mid-credits scene revealeda surprising superstar additionto the cast, withHarry Stylesentering as Eros. Also known as Starfox,Eros is an Eternalborn on Titan, and he’s the very different, dashing, and charming brother of Thanos. Accompanied by his pal (and creation), Pip the Troll (Patton Oswalt), Eros enters the Eternals vessel, immediately offering flirtatious compliments to Thena and his help in finding Sersi, Kingo, and Phastos. As if that weren’t enough to warrant a sequel, the end-credits scene shows Dane (Kit Harrington), Sersi’s seemingly civilian love interest, investigating his family’s secrets. He hesitantly opens an ancient-looking box with the words “Death is my reward” inscribed in Latin. Ghostly whispers and a haunting gust of air breeze past Dane as he unveils the box’s hidden relic: a great sword called theEbony Blade. Speaking of a blade,Mahershala Ali’s Blade is thenheard from off-screen. “Sure you’re ready for that, Mr. Whitman?” he asks. Setting up the MCU’s Blade, who should be getting a solo filmif it ever escapes development hell, and Harrington as the Black Knight cannot and should not betossed aside and forgotten.
Not every mixed-to-poorly reviewed project should be halted entirely. Truly, if we only green-light follow-ups to the immediately well-received hits, few underdogs will have a chance to blossom. The Guardians were largely unknown beforeJames Gunntried his hand atGuardians of the Galaxy, but an instant success of that sort will never be the norm. Some thingsdeserve second chances, and we still need anEternals 2. Moreover, the MCU needs anEternals 2, and it would find its greatest benefit if it were explored again once the onslaught of new-character introductions has subsided. Would these characters have benefited from a different format, perhaps as a series? Probably. They’re here now, though, so the most grueling legwork is complete.AnEternalssequel,unburdened by exposition, would have room to stretch its legs, taking the best elements of its predecessor and giving viewers a side quest that’s refreshingly removed from the MCU’s main arc.
