Eternals: Marvel’s latest addition to their movie Pantheon
January 28, 2022
After months in the theaters, Marvel Studios finally released Eternals on Disney+. Eternals tells a thrilling tale about a team of superheroes banding together to fight a dangerous foe as the fate of the world hangs in the balance. While this may sound a bit like many of the other films Marvel has released, Eternals is game-changing. Even so, the film still possessed the star-studded cast, story filled with twists and turns, and breath-taking special effects fans have come to expect from a Marvel movie.
The cast of Eternals and the story was groundbreaking in many different ways. For starters, the main ensemble was Marvel’s most diverse, featuring Marvel’s first openly gay superhero and first on-screen same-sex kiss. The cast even showcases Marvel’s first deaf superhero. Secondly, this is the first time Marvel has attempted a team origin story of this scale. Sure the Guardians Of The Galaxy was a team origin story, but I would argue that it didn’t introduce as many characters as Eternals does.
Another interesting feature of the movie is its relative dissociation from the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Aside from a few throw-away references to Thanos, Captain America, Iron Man, and The Blip, the movie really stays away from discussing prior events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The separation from the prior films helped make this movie appeal to new Marvel fans and old Marvel fans alike.
The movie introduces 10 Eternals and sets up Kit Harington’s Black Knight and Harry Styles’ Eros. Despite the plethora of new characters, the movie does a good job of developing them and crafting unique stories. Every two or three characters has a combined story arc visited frequently throughout the film, and the arcs help every character make growth and change by the time the film is over.
Eternals certainly has many major implications for the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From the formal introduction of the creators of the Eternals, the Celestials, to the revelation that Eternals have been existing in the MCU since ancient times and are located everywhere, the movie helps to establish some of the new rules Marvel will be following in the next set of Marvel products.
The film did a great job of meeting the standards it set, though there were some elements that it lacked. While it excelled in most of the major Marvel categories, it felt like the movie missed out on some of the comedy and great music for which Marvel has become known. Sure, there were some attempts at humor, but they weren’t as frequent or successful as in other movies. The music tried to match the tone of the movie, but the main theme wasn’t as memorable as the music from previous film scores. Despite lacking these elements, the film was still amazing and satisfied Marvel’s ever-expanding fan base.
Overall, Marvel Studios’ Eternals, while not Marvel’s best movie, is an entertaining and creative movie filled with action, heart, and a great story, perfect for Marvel fans from kids to adults.