Avengers: Endgame changed the landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe like never before, and it seems that a significant shift will be carried over into another project in the form of Eternals.
Directed by Chloé Zhao, Eternals is the MCU's third film in its massive Phase 4 slate, and it follows the story of a cosmic group of super-powered immortals who have been living on Earth for thousands of years.
Despite inhabiting the planet for years, the Eternals were instructed to not interfere with human conflicts unless their mortal enemies, the Deviants, are involved.
In the past weeks, marketing has ramped up for Eternals as its release inches closer. Several teasers have already emerged online, teasing the film's mysterious storyline and some of its intense fight sequences.
Now, a new trailer for the film has arrived, and this time, it showcases a major connection to the larger MCU.
Eternals Promo Includes Avengers: Endgame's Portals
Marvel Studios officially released a brand-new promo for Eternals, showcasing a fresh look at the cosmic-powered immortals created by the Celestials.
The 1-minute teaser featured major moments from Avengers: Endgame such as the Portals scene, Hulk's snap, and Tony Stark's funeral. The flashbacks were accompanied by narration from Salma Hayek's Ajak, telling the story of how the Eternals didn't interfere in human conflicts throughout their millennia-spanning stay on Earth.
The video also included a direct reference to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, showing a snippet of Sam Wilson's training as Captain America:
It also featured a key scene from Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man 3:
Chris Hemsworth's Thor from 2012's The Avengers was also referenced in the promo:
One of the key scenes in the teaser that was included was the shot of Gemma Chan's Sersi and Richard Madden's Ikaris looking over on Earth as the Eternals' ship approaches the planet:
The promo can be seen below:
Eternals & the Larger MCU
It has been a common marketing strategy for Marvel Studios to establish the upcoming film's connection to the larger MCU during the days before its theatrical release.
In Phase 4, the tactic began during Black Widow as one of its last teasers before the premiere showcased a direct reference to the Avengers. It continued during Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, where one of the film's promos highlighted Avengers: Endgame, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Doctor Strange. Now, it appears that Eternals is following the trend.
In many ways, this makes sense, since this essentially serves as a fitting reminder of the film's strong connections to the Marvel universe. It could also be Marvel's way of refreshing the memories of casual fans.
It's reasonable to assume that Endgame has close ties to Eternals' plot, especially after numerous references in the film's promotional drive. Salma Hayek's Ajak already recapped the events of the 2019 MCU blockbuster to Richard Madden's Ikaris, strongly teasing that the Blip could've caused the sudden re-emergence of the Deviants.
This would explain why the Eternals need to reunite in the film, and it effectively shows a seamless way of connecting this Phase 4 film to the rest of the MCU. It's also a safe bet that there will be more Infinity Saga-related Easter eggs in Eternals, thus further strengthening its place in the world of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Eternals premieres in theaters on November 5, 2021.
