Kit Harington, Gemma Chan as Sersi looking up into the sky at the end of Eternals©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/©Marvel Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection
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Matthew Rudoy
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Liam Crowley
Published 16 minutes ago
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Eternals director Chloé Zhao explains the film's true meaning and whether the characters will ever return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The 2021 MCU movie follows a group of immortal individuals who spend centuries on Earth believing that their mission is to protect the planet from the Deviants and to help humanity without directly interfering. They later learn that their real mission is far darker than they could have ever imagined.
The movie proved to be divisive, and despite several cliffhangers and setup for a sequel, Kevin Feige shared in 2024 that "there are no immediate plans for Eternals 2." While 2025's Captain America: Brave New World features an important connection to Eternals, there is uncertainty about whether the characters have any future in the MCU.
ScreenRant's Liam Crowley spoke with Zhao about her new film, Hamnet, and shared that he always saw Eternals as a Greek mythology story set in a familiar world of superheroes. Zhao confirms that this interpretation aligns with her creative vision, explaining that she always saw the film as gods reconciling with the nature of humanity and their own judgment. Seeing this story through the length of godlike characters is intended to elicit deeper questions about kindness, self-discovery, and whether humanity is living up to its full potential.
With Zhao seeing MCU movies as a modern version of myths, she felt it was the perfect place to explore Eternals' mythological story. As for the characters' future, she "would love to bring them back" and to further explore their journeys after being "really proud" of the 2021 film. Check out her comments below:
I would love that! Look, you’re right, and you understood it. It’s about a pantheon of gods discussing the nature of humanity, and ultimately their judgment. Which is what Arishem said, “I’ll be back for judgment.” And the reason why those brief plays existed is for humanity to see how the gods are seeing us, so we could evaluate how we were as a part of this cycle of the universe. Are we doing a good job? Are we kind to each other? Are we getting to know ourselves well enough?
It’s there for a reason, this kind of myth, and these [MCU] films are a modern version of that to me. So, I would love to bring them back and have more discussion about the world we live in. I’m really proud of it.
Zhao's analysis offers a thought-provoking view of Eternals, further clarifying what she set out to achieve and why it feels so different from the MCU movies that came out before and after it.
Four years after the theatrical debut, there are still no confirmed plans for a sequel, so it is unclear when or if the characters will return, but Zhao has made it known that she is on board to continue telling their stories. The effects of Tiamut's death and its connection to adamantium is an important plot point in Captain America: Brave New World, but there are still many unanswered questions from Eternals.
One of Eternals' post-credits scenes set up Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) to play a larger role in the MCU that would connect to the Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali. That film has been indefinitely delayed after numerous setbacks, making it even more difficult for this storyline from Eternals to be continued.
What If...? season 3 brought back Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) for an episode of its multiverse story. It is possible for some of the Eternals to also appear in upcoming MCU projects, especially with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars bringing in characters across the multiverse and from decades of Marvel movies.
These stories are already tackling a great deal, though, and are unlikely to have the room for Arishem's judgment, the fates of the surviving Eternals, and to explore what the introduction of Thanos' brother Eros (Harry Styles) means. A true sequel may only happen with Zhao at the helm and building on the creative choices she already made in the first Eternals.
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Eternals
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG-13 Science Fiction Action Adventure Superhero Release Date November 5, 2021 Runtime 156 minutes Director Chloé Zhao Writers Chloé Zhao, Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, Kaz Firpo Producers Kevin De La Noy, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria AlonsoCast
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Gemma Chan
Sersi
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Richard Madden
Ikaris
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Movies
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Eternals
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Marvel Cinematic Universe
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