The latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Eternals, may not have pleased critics, but audiences seem to be open to another superhero extravaganza.
The Chloe Zhao directorial introduces a new team of superheroes, the titular Eternals, who have lived in hiding among humans for thousands of years. They live separately and reunite when the Deviant threat, ostensibly the purpose of their creation by their Celestial overlords, reemerges.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
The film has a twist in that the real purpose of Eternals was to let humans on earth swell in numbers, and help grow new Celestials from the depths of the planet, which is not exactly helping the humans as the emerging of the Celestial would destroy the earth and kill every living being on the planet.
Arishem, the Celestial overlord of Eternals. (Photo: Marvel Studios)
Ultimately, the last of the Deviants were destroyed, and most of the Eternals vowed to defy the Celestial Arishem, who created and oversees them, and instead decided to help humans. But Ikaris disagreed. This MCU surrogate of Superman was by far the most powerful of Eternals and almost overpowered everyone, but was eventually restrained by Phastos.
Sersi, meanwhile, the new leader of the Eternals after Ajak was killed by Ikaris, transformed the emerging Celestial Tiamut into ice. Ikaris, guilt-ridden, flies to the sun (in a classic Superman move) to perhaps commit suicide, and Thena, Druig, and Makkari leave to find the rest of the Eternals on their spaceship Domo. Rest, stay on earth.
Ikaris is secretly Eternals’ primary antagonist. (Photo: Marvel Studios)
But Arishem is displeased that they killed a Celestial and teleports Sersi, Phastos, and Kingo to say that while he will not kill the people on earth provided their memories show that they are worthy of life and promises to return for judgment. He also takes the three Eternals somewhere, perhaps the World Forge that was referenced earlier to see through their memories?
That was the ending. The mid-credit and post-credit scenes should make you excited regardless of what you thought about the movie.
Mid-credit scene:
Thena, Druig, and Makkari cannot communicate with the Eternals they left on earth and realise that Arishem must have got to them. Meanwhile, they sense somebody in the Domo and out comes a troll called Pip (Patton Oswalt in a cameo). He grandly introduces Eros or Starfox, played by none other than Harry Styles. Now, Starfox, as Styles says, is Thanos’ brother and the two have a history in comics. They are sons of Mentor or A’lars. Starfox has telepathic powers and can control people’s minds (like Druig), and has been an Avengers in comics.
Starfox interestingly offers his help to the Eternals in the hunt for other Eternals and also probably to take down Arishem, if it comes to that.
Kit Harington as Dane Whitman and Gemma Chan as Sersi. (Photo: Marvel Studios)
Post-credit scene:
The post-credit scene features Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman warily looking at an ancient chest to take out the sword called Ebony Blade. The sword in comics was forged by Merlin, that Arthurian wizard’s equivalent in Marvel Universe, and is the dark counterpart to Excalibur, King Arthur’s sword. While it is incredibly powerful, it is like the One Ring from Lord of the Rings, in that it worsens the bad aspects of its wielder.
However, the most interesting thing about the scene is not the blade, but the voice. It is certainly Mahershala Ali’s Eric Brooks or Blade, the half-human, half-vampire superhero that was earlier portrayed by Wesley Snipes. It is clear Blade will play a big role in Whitman’s transformation into the Black Knight, like in the comics. Blade asks Dane whether he is ready for it. The film ends.
