Currently in cinema, The Eternals brings an important new stone to the Marvel edifice. The open ending and post-credits scenes confirm that these new superheroes will return. But will they be back in a sequel to the film?
Be careful, spoilers. It is advisable to have seen the movie The Eternals before continuing to read this article.
For the twenty-sixth film of the MCU, Chloe Zhao had the immense task of presenting ten new superheroes and offering a cosmic fresco as ambitious as it is intimate. The Eternals, which marks a turning point in the Marvel universe, tells how these celestial beings, hidden on Earth for millennia to protect humanity, had to come together to fight the Deviants, their enemies of yesteryear.
After betrayals and fierce battles, the Eternals find themselves separated once again. Ajak (Salma Hayek) and Gilgamesh (Don Lee) slain, Ikaris (Richard Madden) thrown headlong into the sun, Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) returned to his spouse and his son, Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) returned to his life From star and Sprite (Lia McHugh) turned human, only Thena (Angelina Jolie), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) and Druig (Barry Keoghan) have returned to their ship Domo.
For her part, Sersi (Gemma Chan) was kidnapped by Celestial Arishem to answer for her actions after saving Earth, which should have exploded and unleashed a new Celestial, while she was with Dane Whitman (Kit Harington). This ending leaves the door open for a sequel and the following post “The Eternals Will Return” confirms that superheroes will be back, one way or another.
A sequel is not on the agenda
If we will see some Eternals in the Marvel universe, you should know that a sequel to this film, ultimately quite autonomous and independent, is not planned for the moment. Longtime producer Nate Moore explained to Toronto sun that the sequels weren’t always a logical sequel for the characters in the MCU:
“It doesn’t have to be. Obviously we have some ideas of where we could go, but there is no hard and fast rule, which would say we have to have three films and that is the first.”
Walt Disney Germany
Asked by AlloCine, director Chloe Zhao had the same rhetoric when it comes to Marvel Studios:
“There is one thing to know with Marvel Studios, and people don’t believe me when I say that, is that you are coming to make a movie. They are asking you to get your guts out, put it all on the table. and not to think about the future. Once the movie is finished, it belongs to the fans, to the audience. Then it takes shape and a certain form. So we’ll see. “
It took a while for Marvel Studios to develop The Eternals, which just hit theaters. It is therefore still too early to know if a sequel will be made. Especially since the MCU’s schedule is busy, even after phase IV, since 4 films have already been announced, Fantastic Four, Blade, Captain America 4 and Deadpool 3.
If Marvel Studios gives the green light for a sequel to the Eternals, the film shouldn’t be released for a long time. One solution to consider to see these cosmic beings again sooner is to have them intervene in other films, like Starfox (Harry Styles, presented in post-credits scene) with Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), planned in Guardians of the Galaxy. vol.3, or to make some of them interact with other beings intervening in other galaxies like Captain Marvel.
The Eternals could also return in series or flashbacks, given that these characters have been around for 7,000 years. We will have to wait for confirmation from Marvel Studios, which will surely monitor the box office to know the public’s reception to these new superheroes, before we can actually speculate on their place in the MCU.
