TheMarvel Cinematic Universeis set to explore brand new territory for the first time in years with the upcoming release ofEternals, which is set to introduce a powerful new team of heroes to the MCU that is quite a bit different than other teams like the Avengers or the Guardians of the Galaxy.
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Eternalsfeatures a star-studded cast that will adapt John Byrne’s classic characters for the first time outside of the comics in any form. The largely unknown aspect of the powerful beings further adds to the intrigue about the MCU’s next potential hit, so we’ll breakdown some of the key details we know aboutEternalsbefore the movie is released.
10Eternals Will Take Place After The Events Of Avengers: Endgame
2019’sAvengers: Endgamechronologically jumped ahead five yearsinto the future after the events ofAvengers: Infinity War, and it has been revealed thatEternalswill take place in that future, which is the not-too-distant 2023.
However, given the immortal nature of the aptly-namedEternals, MCU fans can expect the movie to move through various periods of the timeline to explore the various members of the Eternals as they lived in secret among society, hidden with other Eternals or alone in exile.
9Chloé Zhao Directed The Film Following The Best Pitch Kevin Feige Ever Heard
Director Chloé Zhao was announced as the director ofEternals, following one of the best MCU pitches that Marvel Studios President and Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige had ever heard, ashe revealed toRolling Stonemagazine.
Zhao is bringing the personal touch and filming style that won her critical acclaim from 2020’sNomadlandtoEternals, and much of the filming has been revealed to have happened on location with minimal green screen, which should give fans of the MCU an entirely different experience when watching the movie.
8The Synopsis Revealed Key Details About The MCU’s Eternals
The official synopsis forEternalsrevealed the secret origins of the new MCU team, their connections to the Celestials first teased inGuardians of the Galaxy, and the ancient enemy they would be facing in the live-action adaptation.
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“Marvel Studios’Eternalsfeatures an exciting new team of Super Heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. Following theevents ofAvengers: Endgame, an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, The Deviants.”
7The Full Cast Of The Reimagined Eternals Has Been Revealed
Marvel Studios’Eternalsreimagined some of the main characters of theEternalsto better diversify the ancient Marvel team, which resulted in a star-studded cast of actors that was first announced in front of the hyped crowd at 2019’s San Diego Comic-Con. Angelina Jolie will star as the warrior Thena with Richard Madden’s heroic Ikkaris and Salma Hayek’s reimagined Ajax.
Other Eternals include Kumail Nanjiani as the Bollywood swordsman Kingo, Don Lee as the superstrong Gilgamesh, and Lia McHugh as the matter-manipulating Sprite. Gemma Chan will also star as Sersi in her second MCU role following her appearance as the Kree Minn-Erva inCaptain Marvel.
6Eternals Will Feature Marvel’s First Openly Gay Couple
Brian Tyree Henry will also appear as Phastos, one of the Eternals who believes in pacifism and helps maintain their advanced technology which includes the powerful cosmic hammer he wields with the enhanced strength of an Eternal.
It was revealed that Henry’s Phastos would be thefirst openly gay superheroin the MCU, who is married and has a child with a human architect, played by Haaz Sleiman. Kevin Feige first teased the inclusion of a gay superhero months before, though it wasSleiman who ultimately let it slipthat Phastos would be the teased character.
5Marvel’s First Deaf Superhero Will Also Appear In Eternals
The Walking Dead’s Lauren Ridloffalso joined the cast of theEternalsto play the reimagined Makkari, who was originally a male hero in the comics that was also one of the fastest beings in the Marvel universe.
Eternal’s gender-swap of Makkari isn’t the only change made to the cosmic speedster either, as the character will also be deaf. While other heroes in the comics like Hawkeye or Maya Lopez/Echo were also deaf in the comics, Ridloff will add another first to the MCU as Makkari will be the first deaf superhero.
4Eternals Will Also Introduce Kit Harington As The Black Knight
Another big addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe willreuniteGame of ThronesstarsRichard Madden and Kit Harington, who will make his MCU debut as Dane Whitman, the future Avenger known as the Black Knight. The Black Knight has ties to Arthurian legend and he wields the powerful but cursed Ebon Blade in adventures that took him across the multiverse.
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Black Knight also had a long-lastingrelationship with his fellow Avengersand Eternal Sersi, which will likely be explored further inEternals.Black Knight’s appearance inEternalscould potentially launch Harington as the new face of the MCU, further highlighting the importance of his character.
3The Deviants Will Also Appear As The Eternal’s Ancient Enemies
The official synopsis that was released by Marvel Studios first teased the inclusion of theancient race of alien beingsknown as the Deviants, though that was always assumed given their connection to the Eternals and the Celestials that created their opposing races.
While not much is known about the Deviants beyond some leaked looks at toys, they have retained the more monstrous appearance that visually separates them from the Eternals. In the comics, Thanos was an Eternal who was born as a Deviant, which could lead to another appearance of the Mad Titan in the MCU.
2The Powerful Celestial Known As Arishem The Judge Could Also Appear
As usual, upcoming toy releases have potentially spoiled an upcoming film, which is the case withEternals’possible inclusion of the deadly Celestial known as Arishem the Judge, who is one of the most powerful members of his cosmic race.
In the comics, Arishem was responsible for a few different disasters on Earth that included the decimation of the Deviant race, which earned him the title of the Judge. The toy leaks also revealed that the Deviant leader named Kro would appear as the “harbinger for a global threat,” which could imply that he brings a warning of Arishem’s return to Earth for judgment.
1Eternals Is Slated To Release On July 01, 2025
Filming forEternalswrapped in February of 2020 and it was originally planned to hit theaters in November of that year, though its release was pushed back alongside Marvel Studios' other films due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Eternalswas then announced for theatrical release a year later in 2021 on November 5, though given the recent announcement thatBlack Widowwill release both in theaters and on Disney+ with a premier access fee it remains to be seen ifEternalswill follow suit.
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