While many Phase 4 projects have gotten a lukewarm reception, it was Chloé Zhao's Eternals that got the worst of it. It didn't take long for the film to become the lowest-rated MCU project on Rotten Tomatoes; the movie wasn't landing the way Marvel Studios had hoped. Since then, fans haven't heard much about the franchise's future prospects.
Harry Styles, who was introduced as Eros in the movie's post-credits scene, noted that he "[doesn't imagine [he'd] do [another] movie for a while," which would theoretically include an Eternals sequel.
Even Barry Keoghan, who played Druig, seemed "bruised" by there being no Eternals 2 news over the last few months. The star also clarified that "[he] doesn't know much of what they're planning."
So is the cosmic group doomed to obscurity within the MCU? Thankfully, that doesn't look to be the case.
The Eternals Will Be Back
In an interview with Phase Zero, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Eternals producer Nate Moore revealed the answer to a big, pressing MCU question: will audiences see any of the characters from Chloé Zhao's Marvel epic ever again?
After some hesitation, Moore responded that "[audiences] have not seen the last of [the Eternals]:
"I would... I don't want to spoil anything, but we have not seen the last of those characters."
After landing at a Rotten 47% on Rotten Tomatoes, many questioned what might happen to the newly established franchise. Radio silence from Marvel Studios didn't help either, with not a single mention of the group being made at either San Diego Comic-Con 2022 or D23.
Fans will likely be relieved that all of those plot threads will eventually come back up—even if the movie wasn't a favorite of many.
What's the Next Step for the Eternals?
Sure, Eternals wasn't received all that well. But, it also wasn't labeled as the worst movie ever—and there are too many important plot set-ups in that movie to simply drop them altogether.
So what could future storylines hold for the Eternals?
Well, for one, the first movie ended with a Celestial proclaiming how he'll return to Earth to pass judgment on them. So, that will need to be resolved—potentially even in a way that could introduce Galactus himself.
Then, of course, there's Eros and Pip the Troll. With Harry Styles' character, in particular, his connection to Thanos begs for further exploration. In fact, it could even lead to Josh Brolin returning to his iconic role as the Mad Titan—whether that be for flashbacks or a return from the dead.
The Eternals are extremely important to the overall MCU story. Not only have they been around for thousands of years, but they're extremely powerful, have a direct connection to the villain of the Infinity Saga, and are closely tied to the Celestials, aka some of the most powerful beings in existence.
When it comes to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, it would likely be impossible for either or both of those epic stories to completely avoid the lore established in Eternals.
It's not a matter of if the group returns, but rather, when.
Eternals is now streaming on Disney+.
