The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with powerful characters and impressive weapons, and a major part of all of that is Wakanda's Vibranium.
Dubbed as the strongest metal on Earth, Vibranium was first introduced during 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger where it was used as the foundation of Steve Rogers' iconic shield. Afterward, Vibranium was showcased in a whole new light during 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron.
To recap, the Avengers sequel used Vibranium to create Vision's body while Ultron utilized the metal as the foundation of his final form. Age of Ultron also referenced Wakanda in a major way, setting the stage for the African country's debut in 2018's Black Panther.
The Chadwick Boseman-led solo film expanded on the lore surrounding the strongest metal, revealing key details like Wakanda being built through the use of Vibranium and almost every weapon in the country using it as its main component.
Now, another MCU film in the post-Infinity Saga chapter of the franchise included Vibranium as an Easter egg.
A WAKANDAN EASTER EGG IN ETERNALS
The final trailer of Eternals included a major reference to Black Panther.
At the tail-end of the trailer, Richard Madden's Ikaris alongside Gemma Chan's Sersi has a conversation with Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos.
Ikaris first praises Phastos for building a "perfect safe house," then proceeds to smash the table after asking if it is made of Vibranium. Phastos tries to stop Ikaris from smashing it, but the table is eventually destroyed.
After an awkward silence, Phastos points out the table is part of the fall collection of IKEA:
Ikaris: "I bet you've built the perfect safe house. And what's this even made of? Vibranium?"
*Ikaris smashes the table*
Phastos: "Don't!"
*The table breaks*
Phastos: "Fall collection. IKEA."
DID THE ETERNALS USE VIBRANIUM OVER THE YEARS?
While this tidbit from the Eternals trailer is hilarious, this could serve as a major hint that the cosmic group of immortals is aware of Wakanda's Vibranium. That said, it's possible that Vibranium isn't the only major MCU weapon that they know about, and it will be interesting to find out if they are fully knowledgeable about the rest of the Avengers' storied history.
Still, Ikaris' casual mention of Vibranium suggests that he is well versed in Wakanda's history. It also raises the question of whether or not Ikaris was given the chance to use Vibranium over the years. If he was able to use the strongest metal on Earth, then this could hint that he was able to interact with generational Wakandans.
On the flip side, Ikaris could simply be showing off his knowledge of Earth's Mightiest Heroes considering that he did the same thing in one moment from the first trailer where he nominated himself as the future leader of the Avengers.
If the Eternals end up meeting the Avengers down the line, it's a safe bet that the cosmic immortals will be familiar with their power sets and their history.
The MCU is filled with Easter eggs, and it's reasonable to assume that Eternals will maximize on that front mainly due to the fact that the film's narrative will span for thousands of years. There's a strong chance that Wakanda and the Avengers are not the only ones who will be referenced in the film, and it will be interesting to find out if other concepts or characters will be highlighted.
Eternals will premiere in theaters on November 5, 2021.
