Eternals 2 Theory Reveals Which Avengers Are Most Likely to Appear In Sequel

By Tom Drew Updated:
Eternals, Captain Marvel, Thor, Brie Larson, Chris Hemsworth

Eternals was one of Marvel Studios' big pushes for heroes in 2021, introducing a whole host of new superpowered characters to the MCU. As a result, the film is largely disconnected from other heroes in the universe and only briefly mentions some of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, raising questions about which Avengers and other Marvel characters could cross paths with the race of immortal beings in a potential sequel.

An Eternals is not yet confirmed, with producer Nate Moore saying that a second and third film aren't necessarily guaranteed. However, director Chloé Zhao's enthusiastic hopes to return for a sequel and actress Gemma Chan's tease of more Sersi in the MCU's future could be enough evidence to suggest a follow-up to Eternals is on the way.

The ending of the film opens many doors for familiar faces to join the fray, from the surprising cliffhanger of Arishem's judgment to the introduction of Harry Styles' Eros.

Here are the Avengers and Marvel characters that should appear in Eternals 2.

Thor

Eternals Thor
Marvel Studios

Space-based heroes are hard to come by, but one Avenger has taken to the stars to go on sabbatical. Taking a lift from the Guardians of the Galaxy is the God of Thunder himself, Thor. Chris Hemsworth's hero has a load of Jane Foster-related personal issues to deal with first, but there's a chance that he could bump into some of the Eternals after he's finished up in Love and Thunder

Perhaps the God of Thunder encounters the Domo as he traverses the cosmos, briefly making a pitstop to help its crew locate their missing family members. 

Thor and the Eternals have both impacted humanity on Midgard throughout history, so the two parties could bond over how the people of Earth have changed over the years.

There is, of course, the problem of Chris Hemsworth's paycheck, which may make an appearance from him a bit expensive for Marvel Studios. However, if it can wrangle the actor to do What If...?, who's to say that Hemsworth won't be up to join the Eternals in their sequel?

Nick Fury

Eternals Nick Fury
Marvel Studios

Another spacefaring character comes in the form of Nick Fury, who has been off-world since the end of 2019's Avengers: Endgame. While it's clear that the former director of SHIELD is cruising across the galaxy with a spaceship full of Skrulls, it's still unknown what exactly he's up to in space.

A run-in with the Eternals might provide some answers, who could be in need of some directions. A conversation between Fury and the cosmic heroes may reveal that he's searching for displaced Skrulls, monitoring the Celestials' activities, or simply herding some space cattle.

If the Eternals reveal to Fury that they chose not to intervene in certain world events, this would also enable them to be called out for not helping at the Battle of New York, Thanos' rampage across Earth, or the final showdown in Endgame. They deserve at least a little criticism for that.

Captain Marvel

Eternals Captain Marvel
Marvel Studios

Carol Danvers is one of the few Avengers to prefer being among the stars over moping around on Earth, so she could also run into the Eternals on their ship.

While not directly established in the movie, director Chloé Zhao imagines that the Eternals aren't the only group that the Celestials have employed to watch over certain planets. Eros seems to be evidence of this, so perhaps Carol has encountered other groups of Eternals across the galaxy or alien races displaced by Emergences that caused the destruction of their homeworlds.

Following these breadcrumbs may have led Captain Marvel to develop beef with the Celestials, so she may want to aid the Eternals in stopping their ploy to end more worlds.

Thanos

Eternals Thanos
Marvel Studios

It has to be said: Thanos is dead.

The Mad Titan was reduced to dust in Endgame, but that doesn't necessarily rule out his appearance in Eternals 2. Pip the Troll directly mentions Eros' family tree in the post-credits scene, claiming that Harry Styles' character is in fact the brother of Thanos.

A few flashbacks in an Eternals sequel would do wonders to flesh out the siblings' backstory and explain why exactly they look so different. This could even provide the opportunity to show more of the Mad Titan's twisted motivations to smite half of the universe, possibly displaying how his home planet succumbed to extinction. Did Thanos choose to snap because he wanted to prevent Emergences from occurring across the universe?

A return would also give Josh Brolin the opportunity to reprise the role again, which would undoubtedly be a treat for audiences.

White Vision

Eternals White Vision
Marvel Studios

Since the end of WandaVision, Paul Bettany's Spectral, or White, Vision has been MIA. After a philosophical mind battle with his more vibrant self, the android shot into the sky.

Is it possible that the bleached version of the android could have ended up in space somehow? White Vision may have pulled a Bruce Banner and ended up on some alien planet or is traveling the galaxy on a journey of self-discovery to get to the bottom of what he is.

Alternatively, this new Vision version could have turned himself into space debris by freezing up in the cold embrace of space. The Domo may smash into this intergalactic roadkill and bring it aboard, giving White Vision a new purpose going forward.

Paul Bettany already has ideas for where the new incarnation of his character could end up, so perhaps some of his thoughts will overlap with where the Eternals will find themselves in a sequel.

Uatu, The Watcher

Eternals Watcher
Marvel Studios

At the end of Eternals, Sersi, Phastos, and Kingo are whisked off by Arishem to have their memories analyzed to determine whether humanity is worthy of living. Their minds won't reveal all of the human race's successes and breakthroughs though, so they may need a bit of help convincing the judge of their argument. If only there were a character that possessed infinite knowledge of all life throughout the universe...

Enter The Watcher. Jeffrey Wright's Uatu from What If...? could be the key to providing evidence of humanity's merits to the Celestials. If the mainline universe isn't enough to change Arishem's mind, then he could also bring in Multiversal testimonies to back up his case.

An appearance from Uatu would serve as a bridge between Marvel Studios' live action and animation departments, similar to how The Mandalorian has broken ground by adapting animated characters. The MCU is all about interconnectivity, so what better way to promote this by crossing mediums.

Eternals is streaming now exclusively on Disney+.

- In This Article: What If...? (Season 2)
Release Date
December 22, 2023
Platform
Actors
Jeffrey Wright
- About The Author: Tom Drew
Tom Drew is the Executive Editor at The Direct. Tom writes for The Direct's Marvel, Star Wars, and DC branches while specializing in all things movies, from blockbuster to indie darlings.