With the pandemic postponing the 2020 slate of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, things finally seem to be back on track in 2021 with Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings having already been released and finding big success. Eternals, which will introduce a super team of aliens with cosmic powers to the MCU, was originally supposed to be released last year but now it’s scheduled to be out on Nov. 5.
Directed by two-time Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao, and written by cousins Matthew and Ryan Firpo, the MCU’s Eternals premiered on Oct. 18 in Hollywood, and spoilers have already been leaking out by those in the know.
Who exactly are the MCU’s Eternals?
The MCU synopsis previews the film as “ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years.”
“Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, The Deviants,” the description said.
The Eternals cast includes a star-studded roster of Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Kumail Nanjiani, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden and many more.
Gemma Chan, who was in MCU’s Captain Marvel as Minn-Erva, is back in the MCU as one of the Eternals, a hero named Sersi.
“Sersi is not your typical superhero: She’s not necessarily the best fighter, she doesn’t have the most obviously impressive powers,” Chan said in a recent interview in Vogue. “The main thing is she’s an empath. She has a connection with humans, and with the world and the earth. That is her strength, so I leant into that.”
The MCU’s Next Heroes and Who Plays Them Onscreen
- Angelina Jolie as “fierce warrior” Thena.
- Richard Madden as “all-powerful” Ikaris.
- Kit Harington as Dane Whitman (who is human).
- Barry Keoghan as “aloof loner” Druig.
- Gemma Chan as “humankind-loving” Sersi.
- Kumail Nanjiani as “cosmic-powered” Kingo.
- Salma Hayek as “wise and spiritual leader” Ajak.
- Lauren Ridloff as “super-fast” Makkari.
- Brian Tyree Henry as “intelligent inventor” Phastos.
- Lia McHugh as “eternally young, old-soul” Sprite.
- Don Lee as “powerful” Gilgamesh.
MCU’s Eternals will available exclusively in theaters for 45 days before they launch on digital platforms. It will then be followed by Spider-Man: No Way Home which swings into theaters on December 17th.
According to CNET.com, the Eternals are well represented in comic books, first appearing in 1976. The group was created by Jack Kirby, co-creator of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men.
Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige told the Hollywood Reporter that the MCU’s Eternals pays tribute to the late artist, who died in 1994.
