When Eternals released in theaters last fall, it wasn’t exactly met with glowing praise. Although the movie does have its genuine fans and staunch defenders, critics panned director Chloé Zhao’s Marvel movie as overly long, overstuffed and more than a bit dry.
Despite this, Eternals added a great many new, important elements to MCU lore and was anchored by a talented cast. Focusing on a group of entirely new characters like Ikaris and Sprite, the film recontextualized certain aspects of the MCU, and in some cases, enhanced them.
So far, a sequel has not been officially announced nor have any rumors or rumblings been heard on the topic. To add insult to injury, not even a hint towards another installment of Eternals was given at either San Diego Comic-Con or D23. This is something that has apparently weighed on star Barry Keoghan.
Barry Keoghan Wants More Eternals
Speaking to GQ, Eternals star Barry Keoghan, who played the mind-controlling hero Druig, revealed his reaction to the fact that a sequel wasn’t talked about at this year’s SDCC:
“[They] didn’t really mention Eternals 2, so…”
The publication noted that Keoghan seemed rather upset and “bruised” by this lack of news.
Previously, Keoghan’s co-star Kit Harington spoke on the silence surrounding another Eternals movie, but seemed to offer fans a glimmer of hope, mentioning Marvel’s upcoming Phase 5 slate while still being sure to note that he hadn’t heard anything:
“I, again…and this is true: I don’t know much of what they’re planning. And you know, I hope to be involved in future stuff, with that character, with Dane Whitman, and that he might go on and be the thing that everyone quotes at me in the street. But I honestly don’t know. I don’t know what their plans are. I know they’re going into a kind of Phase 5…”
Will There Be More Eternals?
It’s certainly disappointing for many that a follow-up to 2021’s Eternals appears to be very much in limbo.
The film did decently in a pandemic-era box office environment but it was still the lowest-grossing Marvel Studios film. This is a factor that could indeed be contributing to Marvel’s hesitancy to greenlight a sequel.
Still, the film exists in the MCU where the end of a given franchise doesn’t necessarily have to mean that the characters won’t be seen again. Sersi, Phastos, Druig, and the rest of the Eternals team could easily pop up in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars.
Plus, Dane Whitman was put into contact with Blade in a post-credits scene, so it stands to reason that wherever Mahershala Ali’s daywalker ends up, he’ll have Whitman in tow.
Marvel Studios’ Eternals can be streamed on Disney+ and is available for purchase wherever movies are sold.
