Eternals may have been met with something of a tepid response from critics, but the latest Marvel Studios movie had a solid opening weekend and the story of this team is one fans appear to be embracing.
That alone pretty much guarantees we'll see these immortal heroes again, and there's simply no denying that director Chloé Zhao brought a lot of new and exciting ideas to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The filmmaker is clearly a fan of the source material, as there were Easter Eggs, references, and cameos here that pay homage to the comics and tease this franchise's future.
There's a lot here we're pretty sure you will have missed, especially as many of these reference some deep cut material even the biggest comic book reader could be unfamiliar with. Some are there just for fun, though, and we think you'll enjoy taking a look through them.
So, to check out these Eternals Easter Eggs, simply click on the "Next" button below!
10. Isaac And Sylvia
When Ikaris and Sersi arrive at Phasos' house, he's not exactly thrilled to be reunited with his friends from "college." After all, he's living a normal family life these days, and his fellow Eternals showing up is bound to mean trouble.
It's no wonder, then, that he introduced them as "Isaac" and "Sylive."
However, those aren't just names Phastos picked out of thin air. In the comic books, both characters have used those monikers to better fit in with humanity, with Ikaris even going by "Ike Harris" for a time. This is a real deep cut Easter Egg, and one we're surprised wasn't utilised sooner seeing as Sersi is known by that name to Dane and as Ms. Sersi to her class!
9. Captain America's Shield
In Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers wielded that prop shield from his USO shows before Howard Stark presented him with his iconic Vibranium version.
We never actually found out what became of the original, but it seems to have fallen into Kingo's possession because it can be seen on his private jet. As a Bollywood star for over 100 years, it's feasible he crossed paths with Captain America during World War II and either decided to take that shield or was somehow gifted it.
This is an easy one to miss and a fun way to make us ponder the role these Eternals have played throughout history. Now, sign us up for a flashback with a Captain America/Kingo dance number!
8. "Black Roger"
In the mid-credits scene, we're introduced to Starfox and his teleporting pal Pip the Troll. Both characters could be key to what we see from the cosmic side of the MCU moving forward, but it's the latter mentioning that Eros defeated "Black Roger" that really grabbed our attention.
In the comic books, Dark Roger was the monarch of Mystery Planet (which also receives a mention from Pip) and ended up clashing with Starfox in the pages of Marvel Comics Presents #65.
There wasn't much to that beyond him making his presence felt in one of Starfox's favourite bars, and he's a character with just a single appearance to his name. Still, a cool nod for fans with a good memory.
7. A History With Asgard
The Eternals have been on Earth for 7000 years, so should we really be surprised that they've crossed paths with Thor and his father Odin?
The "Eternals Saga" actually played out in the God of Thunder's comic book series, and Kingo mentions that a young Thor would follow him around relentlessly. Unfortunately, the Avenger no longer returns his calls. That could be simple bragging on Kingo's part, but we can definitely believe Gilgamesh spent some time with Odin during the Battle of Tønsberg!
Honestly, we're just surprised that Sprite never mentioned meeting Loki because the way their powers of illusion are portrayed is undeniably similar (and she could have quite easily taught the God of Mischief some of his best tricks).
6. Six Singularities
It's unusual for a Marvel Studios movie to open with a few blocks of text setting the stage for what follows, and Eternals feels very Star Wars-esque in that respect.
However, if the mention of "the six Singularities" rings a bell, it's probably because it's a reference to a key scene in Guardians of the Galaxy. In that movie, The Collector explained that the Infinity Stones were six singularities that predated the universe and were later forged into the weapons ultimately wielded by the Mad Titan, Thanos.
Arishem has existed since before they came into being, though, and it seems likely he created the Stones later scattered throughout the MCU. Why? Well, we know Eson the Searcher once unleashed the Power Stone throughout the Galaxy...
5. The Emerald Tablet
Much is made of Makkari's quest to find that Emerald tablet in Eternals, and you may be disappointed to learn this isn't actually some special artefact from the comic books.
Most commonly known as the Smaragdine Tablet, it's largely associated with the creation of the philosophers' stone and the artificial production of gold, while it also introduced the concept of "as above, so below." It doesn't seem to have any real ties to the Marvel Universe, but some have speculated that it could loosely link up to the magical dimension of Otherworld.
Excalibur being in Makkari's collection is significant, as is Thena and Sprite being aware of the Ebony Blade's existence. The Holy Grail also appears to be there, while some fans are convinced those suits of armour bear a resemblance to Moon Knight (Khonshu has had more than one avatar...).
4. Dane Whitman's Uncle
Believing the world is about to end, Sersi insists that Dane Whitman make amends with his uncle, Nathan Garrett. Like his nephew, he's a descendant of the original Black Knight, but the Ebony Blade's curse (which makes its wielder prone to outbursts of violence and bloodlust) sent Nathan down a villainous route.
That could be why Dane isn't overly keen to visit his dear old uncle, but the post-credit scene sets the stage for him to try and make the Ebony Blade his own and likely restore his family's honour.
Whether he'll be able to overcome the sword's dark influence remains to be seen. That voice certainly seemed keen to caution Dane about what wielding it would entail, and we know that using the Ebony Blade can be addictive. Time will tell whether we ever get to meet Nathan.
3. Batman And Superman References
We're not sure what Marvel Studios was going for here, but Eternals confirmed that Batman and Superman exist in the MCU as fictional characters.
Honestly, these references felt forced, but were easily missed if you weren't paying attention. When Kingo introduces his valet to Gilgamesh, the Eternal comes to the conclusion that Karun is basically like Alfred, Batman's trustworthy butler and right-hand man in the DC Universe.
Later, when Ikaris and Sersi meet Phastos' son, the boy is convinced that Ikaris is Superman, cape and all. Of course, the hero quickly points out he doesn't wear a cape, though the "heat vision" is definitely similar (Zhao has even said Henry Cavill's Superman and Man of Steel inspired some of what we see in this movie).
2. Ikaris' Suicide
In one of the movie's most poignant moments, Ikaris - who helped stop Tiamut's birth after finding himself unable to kill Sersi - flies into the sun and takes his own life.
Now, we're not going to say that the door isn't open to him to return down the line. Arishem could have stopped him moments before he was destroyed, while it's possible his synthetic form could withstand even the power of that star. We also know from the comic books that the Eternals die and are reborn again and again, while all of the immortals once took their own lives.
As well as borrowing ideas from what we've seen in the source material, this pulls from mythology and the story it turns out Sprite made up about Ikaris flying too close to the sun. He did exactly that in this movie, and may have even been bizarrely inspired by that mythic tale.
1. Blade's Voice
This has been confirmed since Eternals arrived in theaters, though we wouldn't blame you for not figuring it out on opening day. Yes, the voice that asks Dane if he's ready to use the Ebony Blade does indeed belong to Mahershala Ali's vampire-hunting Blade.
It appears he's familiar with the weapon, something that would make sense if it's particularly useful in killing vampires. Marvel Studios has cleverly been teasing their arrival for a few years now, including in Thor: Ragnarok, WandaVision, Loki, and this very movie when Kingo mentions his valet once thought he was one of them.
We didn't see this coming, but it's looking a lot like that Blade movie will serve as a team-up for the Daywalker and the Black Knight.