The Eternals is due to come out in less than 10 months on November 6 of this year, which is more than enough time for Disney to market the movie to fans who have very little idea of what or who “The Eternals" actually are. Between now and November 6th, Disney and other outlets will release articles, photos, videos, and more in an attempt to get general audience members to care enough to see this ensemble movie that introduces a slew of new heroes, many of whom are played by popular actors, to the MCU. The film is said to span thousands of years of human history while following a group of ancient aliens named the Eternals. Such an ambitious premise will require thoughtful planning to sell the idea to audiences, and Disney has begun early preparation for their marketing campaign by releasing some new information about the movie.
CONFIRMATION
In a preview of their 2020 feature film slate, Walt Disney Studios has officially released the following synopsis for The Eternals:
“Marvel Studios’ The Eternals features an exciting new team of Super Heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, The Deviants.
The outstanding ensemble cast include Richard Madden as the all-powerful Ikaris, Gemma Chan as humankind-loving Sersi, Kumail Nanjiani as the cosmic-powered Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as the super-fast Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as the intelligent inventor Phastos, Salma Hayak as the wise and spiritual leader Ajak, Lia McHugh as the eternally young, old-coul Sprite, Don Lee as the powerful Gilgamesh, Barry Keoghan as the aloof loner Druig, and Angelina Jolie as the fierce warrior Thena. Kit Harrington was cast as Dane Whitman.
Directed by Chloe Zhao, who helmed the critically acclaimed Sundance film The Rider, and produced by Kevin Feige, The Eternals opens in U.S. theaters on November 6, 2020.”
WHAT THIS MEANS
This is not the first synopsis to be released for The Eternals, but it is one that provides the most information about the movie’s general plot and characters. Perhaps the most intriguing new detail provided in this new synopsis is the reveal that the movie will be “following the events of Avengers: Endgame.” It was previously made known that the movie would cover thousands of years of past history, but, until now, it was not made clear how far up to the “current times” the movie would be set. Knowing that part of the movie will take place after Endgame (in the year 2023), it seems likely that the movie will address Thanos’ snap that erased half of all life as well as Hulk’s snap which brought everyone back. The Eternals synopsis also mentions a “tragedy” which causes members of the Eternals to come out from their apparent hiding. It’s unknown what this tragedy actually is, but it may be possible that it is an indirect effect of the MCU’s five-year period where half the universe’s life had disappeared.
The latter half of this new synopsis offers short descriptions of the movie’s main characters. The ensemble-nature of this movie is very much showcased seeing these 11 names. The character descriptions that are provided fall in line with descriptions of the original comic versions of these characters. One particular description that stands out from the others is the “aloof loner” designation for Barry Keoghan’s Druig. It’s been speculated that Druig will be one of the main villains of the movie, and this brief description of his character being a recluse of sorts does line up with these villain theories.
