Warning - This article contains spoilers from Eternals.
Eternals is now available worldwide in theaters. Fans are finally able to meet these near-immortal beings that Marvel Studios has been talking about for years now.
The cast includes big names such as Angelina Jolie and Richard Madden—all playing regal characters who have protected Earth for thousands of years. There’s one Eternal, however, who is clearly different from the rest: Lia McHugh’s Sprite. The reason? Well, she isn’t an adult.
It’s never explained why the Celestials made her that way, but it’s a struggle that she deals with throughout the film. Being a 7,000-year-old being in a child’s body certainly doesn’t sound like the best of times.
So, at the end of the movie, when Sersi offers her the chance to be human, the now-former Eternal takes the chance.
However, a question remains: has she just lost her immortality, or are her illusionary powers gone as well?
Does Sprite Keep Her Superpowers After Eternals?
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Direct, Eternals screenplay writers Ryan and Kaz Firpo cleared the air on just what Lia McHugh's Sprite’s new situation is now.
According to Kaz, “what makes an Eternal an Eternal is that ability to draw on Celestial energy,” and that’s what Sersi has removed—meaning Spirte no longer has her illusionary magical abilities:
“As far as we’ve always considered it, what makes an Eternal an Eternal is that ability to draw on Celestial energy, and essentially what Sersi has done is remove that ability. She’s taken that generator out of her. So now she is just, as far as we know, a mortal who will age and grow, and live as one of us truly, and doesn’t have that magical ability. Doesn’t have those illusions that can make her live a different life. So as far as we’re concerned, she’s flesh and blood.”
Sprite, the Mortal, Everyday Average Human
Making Sprite a human makes sense on several levels. On a practical one, Marvel Studios can’t keep the character young forever—she is a real person, so aging is inevitable. With this new change, that won't be a worry.
When it comes to the story, it’s what Sprite has always wanted, so much so that she even got to a point of desperation that caused her to betray her family and nearly kill Sersi.
But how will the former Eternal deal without her powers? She seemed pretty dependent on them throughout the film, so losing them probably won’t be an easy experience. Without her power set, what could be in store for the character next?
Lia McHugh previously teased to The Direct that she might still have a future with Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman, given how they seemed to have a friendship prior to the events of the film.
While she was teamed up with Kingo, he’s now in Celestial jail—so now it’s up to the Eternal’s valet, Karun, to watch over Sprite. This will no doubt lead to plenty of hilarious situations.
Fingers crossed that a sequel is on its way sooner rather than later.
Eternals is now playing in theaters worldwide.
