As we write this, Eternals sits at 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. While it's easy to see why not everyone has responded positively to Chloé Zhao's first blockbuster, that negative response makes no sense at all, and it feels like some critics relished in this opportunity to tear down the MCU.
Ambitious, bold, and definitely something different for Marvel Studios, Eternals packs a lot into its 150-minute runtime, most of which works...some of which doesn't. In this feature, we're breaking down both the highlights and lowlights of the latest Phase 4 adventure, including key characters and moments, an underwhelming villain, some insanely cool visuals, and a lot of heroes to contend with.
You can read our review here, but this in-depth look at Eternals should give you plenty to think about regardless of who you felt about it. Something tells us this movie will be discussed for years to come, and it goes without saying that you will find some pretty detailed spoilers from this point on.
To take a look through this breakdown, all you need to do is hit the "Next" button below!
Did Work: Everything About Ikaris
What a great character. Emotionally complex and basically the MCU's Superman, Ikaris' story arc was a joy to follow (even if it did land a few gut punches along the way). While Kro was clearly meant as a misdirect for this Eternal to be outed as the villain, we're not sure that's even a fair description of the powerful immortal.
Yes, his actions were certainly morally reprehensible, but he was simply trying to fulfil his purpose by ensuring Tiamut would be born. While that would lead to Earth's destruction, billions more would be born on other planets as a result, so stopping the emergence was, in some respects, wrong.
Putting Ikaris and his love for Sersi at the forefront of this concept was a brilliant decision, and one that gave this movie a true emotional core. We're hoping there's a way for Ikaris to be reborn because there's definitely more Marvel Studios could do with him; it goes without saying at this point too that Richard Madden was phenomenal.
Didn't Work: Too Many Characters
Arguably Eternals' biggest issue in some ways is the fact that it features far too many characters. Dane Whitman's introduction is definitely rushed, while at least two or three of the Eternals could probably have been scrapped (and we wouldn't have really noticed or cared).
Each of the characters did bring something to the table, but a few changes to the story could have streamlined things a little and made the events playing out on screen much easier to digest. It's made to think Marvel Studios once wanted to include twelve characters, and even ten feels like a rare misstep on the part of Kevin Feige and company.
Sprite is now human and left behind on Earth, while Ajak, Ikaris and Gilgamesh are dead (whether that lasts remains to be seen). Thena, Druig, and Makkari have teamed up with Starfox, and Sersi, Phastos, and Kingo now look set to be judged by Arishem; splitting the heroes up might be for the best, though we're sure a reunion will happen.
Did Work: The Visuals
There were times Eternals might have benefited from feeling a little more epic in scale, but those practical sets definitely had the desired effect. The movie felt like a completely different beast, and the credit for that obviously goes to director Chloé Zhao. Of course, there were moments that did feel epic, and the VFX definitely made the action on screen feel like a real sight to behold.
The Celestials were a good example of that, and we can't fault the design work that went into them. The same can be said for the team's costumes, and a lot of scenes did jump off the screen.
That final shot of Tiamut turned to stone is a good example of that, and now Zhao has a little more experience under her belt, we have no doubt she'd knock an Eternals 2 out of the park. This is a great looking movie, and it will be interesting to see how that informs any future MCU cosmic movies.
Did Work: A Romance For The Ages
Look, we know many of you probably don't go and watch the latest Marvel Studios movie for a love story, but there's no denying that Ikaris and Sersi's bond is a major highlight in the movie. As noted, it both informs the overarching narrative and makes these two characters all the more interesting.
It's great seeing Sersi with Dane Whitman (especially knowing what becomes of them in the comic books), but how can you not root for these two to reunite after the thousands of years they spent together? Throw in the real reason that Ikaris left Sersi centuries ago, and it's all a bit heartbreaking.
Marvel Studios and Zhao nailed this, and we hope it's revisited in some way down the line. That should be easy enough with flashbacks, but if this is it, then it's the MCU's best love story to date. Well, aside from Captain America and Peggy Carter; that romance still hits us in the feels.
Didn't Work: A Little Too Much For Casual Fans To Digest
For those of us who are comic book fans, wrapping our heads around the lofty ideas Eternals presents wasn't too difficult. However, it's no wonder many regular moviegoers left the theater scratching their heads because as good looking as Arishem's exposition dump was, it was hard to follow!
In a matter of minutes, the movie reveals that the Eternals are synthetic beings, explains that Earth will be destroyed, and asks a lot of those used to watching far more straightforward MCU stories.
It's not a bad thing that Marvel Studios decided to get a little more complex this time, but with so much thrown at audiences, we fear they might have been a little too ambitious this time. Hopefully, the introduction of the Multiverse isn't going to continue to leave fans perplexed over the next few years.
Did Work: Speedster Done Right
There have been a lot of comparisons between the Eternals and Justice League, and while we don't want to get into that too much, we'd definitely argue that Makkari is a better speedster than The Flash! The similarities in their costumes are undeniably noteworthy, but Zhao makes much better use of superspeed than both Zack Snyder and Avengers: Age of Ultron helmer Joss Whedon.
The way it's portrayed leaves a lasting impact, particularly during that final battle with Ikaris. There's a real impact to her speed, and not getting overly artsy with it means it feels a lot more real.
Watching Makkari race across the globe is vastly more epic than the admittedly awesome Speed Force scene in Zack Snyder's Justice League, while a lack of weird energy ensures the Eternal never looks cartoonish. Lauren Ridloff also deserves a special mention for her utterly superb performance.
Didn't Work: Kro
For the most part, there wasn't really anything wrong with the Deviants. They looked pretty cool, and definitely felt like a major threat to the Eternals; however, Kro's introduction meant it was all downhill from there. Not only did he look awful, but Marvel Studios somehow wasted Bill Skarsgård.
The villain knew that Earth was about to be destroyed, but persisted in continuing to steal the Eternals' powers...well, we're still not entirely sure what his endgame was. Clearly meant as a misdirect to make Ikaris' turn a bigger surprise, Kro was at his worst shoehorned into the movie's final battle.
An irritating presence and one who didn't receive the necessary screentime to make the expected impact, Kro will be remembered as one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's worst baddies.
Did Work: Two Perfect Post-Credit Scenes
We can't fault either one of Eternals' post-credit scenes, as both are memorable and set the stage for some major future stories. The introduction of Harry Styles as Starfox is bound to have ramifications for any number of stories, and it seems Thanos' brother has experience dealing with the Celestials. There's clearly a story to be told, and we're betting it will involve the Mad Titan somehow.
Eros' team-up with the Eternals should be fun, but that second stinger is every bit as noteworthy. After watching Sersi being taken from Earth by Arishem, Dane Whitman decides to embrace his family's dark history by wielding the Ebony Blade. However, it's then he interrupted by Blade!
Marvel Studios probably should have done a little more to make the Daywalker's debut a little more obvious to fans, but the fact he's set to team up with Black Knight is unbelievably exciting. Taking Dane down that route should be a blast, though we do hope the hero is reunited with Sersi one day.
Did Work: World-Building
Marvel Studios certainly managed to cram a lot of story into Eternals, and successfully expanded on what we know about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That's particularly the case with the Celestials, and considering the fact they basically eat planets...well, we're sure you can see how that will lead to Galactus!
Whether he's a weapon unleashed by them or a Celestial gone rogue, the Fantastic Four villain coming to Earth to enact Arishem's judgement would actually make perfect sense.
Exploring the history of the MCU is also welcomed, and the introduction of these characters promises to send shockwaves through any number of franchises. Some might argue that a little too much was thrown into Eternals (similar to Iron Man 2), but Marvel Studios knows how to get us psyched for what comes next.
Didn't Work: A Lot Of Jumping Around
As much as we enjoyed taking a deep dive into the MCU's history, Eternals jumped around an awful lot. That was evident from the movie constantly having to remind us of when (and where) the action playing out on screen was taking place, and this side of things really needed to be simplified.
We appreciated visiting the past, but it would have been nice if what we'd seen there had better tied into the MCU's wider narrative. Instead, it all felt a bit random, and bordered on making the Eternals feel a little insignificant. The movie is jumbled, and only just manages to hold itself together. With a lesser filmmaker, though, this one could have been a complete and utter failure.
It's too late now, but this is a lesson Marvel Studios can hopefully learn from moving forward.