Warning - This article contains spoilers for Eternals.
As Phase 4 continues to expand with its impressive slate of films and series, one of the lingering questions of fans is the fate of every new character during Avengers: Infinity War.
Shows like WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier addressed whether some of their characters fell victim to Thanos' snap. However, films like Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings didn't hint if major characters like Florence Pugh's Yelena and Simu Liu's Shawn were dusted alongside half of the universe's population.
The discussion continues with Eternals. Considering these heroes remained on Earth for thousands of years, it's safe to say that they were present during Thanos' invasion in Infinity War. Still, due to their oath to never interfere, they chose to ignore the Mad Titan and the threat of the Infinity Stones.
Despite that, many fans have speculated whether or not the cosmic immortals were exempted from Thanos' snap. Now, the film's director has finally shed some light on the matter.
Chloé Zhao Addresses Infinity War Fate of Eternals
Eternals director Chloé Zhao sat down with CinemaBlend to talk about the cosmic heroes' fate during Avengers: Infinity War.
When asked if any members of the titular group were snapped away by Thanos, Zhao admitted that they were exempted from such a fate due to spoiler-heavy reasons:
Well, I can't say this out loud, but if you think about... if you think about what the Celestials told them. If you think about what the Celestials told them about themselves, technically they can't get blipped.
The award-winning filmmaker is clearly alluding to the major reveal from the film about the Eternals' true origins.
In the movie, the Celestial Arishem tells Sersi that they were created to kill the Deviants to help bring forth the Emergence a.k.a. the birth of a Celestial. This ancient practice leads to the destruction of the planet where the Celestial was born.
After the Emergence, the Eternals leave every planet right before they are destroyed so that Arishem can erase their memories before their next mission.
This means that the Eternals are synthetic beings created by Arishem in the World Forge, thus unable to be snapped out of existence.
Eternals Stood by to Witness Thanos' Decimation
Chloé Zhao's latest comments make narrative sense, especially after finding out that Sersi and her group are robotic shells created by Arishem.
Despite that, the film still didn't explain how the Eternals reacted to the rest of the world's sudden disappearance. It will be interesting to find out each members' response to the chaos, considering their connections to Thanos in the pages of Marvel Comics.
It's worth pointing out that Phastos has a family, so it's possible that his husband and son didn't fall victim to Thanos' snap. Phastos would've done something to seek revenge against the Mad Titan if his family suddenly disappeared, and he could even reunite the rest of the Eternals as a last-ditch attempt.
Ikaris and Ajak would've stood by since they were fully aware of the original mission. Thena and Gilgamesh would likely do the same because they are secluded from the rest of the world. The same goes for Makkari since the film reveals that she is alone in the Domo.
The same could be true for Kingo, Sprite, and Sersi, meaning that Dane Whitman and Karun could've been spared from the snap as well. There's a chance that some members of Druig's camp in Amazon would've fallen victim to the snap, but given his attitude toward war and conflict, it's possible that he just went along with it.
Eternals sets up the titular ensemble as synthetic beings present numerous story opportunities, allowing these characters to return if they die. This means that those who met their demise in the film (Ajak, Ikaris, and Gilgamesh) have an open chance to come back, meaning that Arishem can activate them to pit them against the captured Eternals potentially.
This is one of the Eternals' intriguing plot devices since it doesn't just explain their Infinity War fates, but it also gives more story ideas to push the narrative forward.
Eternals is now playing in theaters worldwide.
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