In Eternals, Marvel is introducing 10 brand new superheroes into the MCU. Let learn about their histories, their powers, and more.
Plenty of films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been ambitious, but Marvel Studios is always pushing the boundaries of what a superhero movie can be. And Marvel’s Eternals is the company’s most ambitious movie to date.
For this film, Marvel brought in some serious talent. It’s directed by Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao. And with her expertise, she was given the task of introducing brand new 10 superpowered beings into her film who could change the course of the MCU forever.
Previous films have introduced superheroes one by one — Iron Man in Iron Man, Captain America in Captain American, etc. — so it was pretty easy to follow things when they finally all came together for an Avengers team-ups. We had plenty of time to get to know the characters first. But imagine them being put in the same movie all at once, on top of other characters like Black Widow, Hawkeye, and five other superheroes of your choice.
That’d be a lot to keep up with. So in this guide, we’ll introduce you to each of the Eternals so you won’t get overwhelmed by all the new heroes. Of course, we’ll keep it as spoiler-free as possible. And luckily, a majority of the cast is played by already-famous actors, which should make it easier for you to remember the names, abilities, and personalities of these characters.
Keep in mind, these characters — who first originated in Jack Kirby’s comics — are cosmic beings unlike anything we’ve seen in the MCU before. They were sent by the Celestials (basically cosmic gods) to protect the Earth. And in the film, fans will learn more about why these Eternals were sent here and just what their presence means to the MCU as a whole. Read on to learn more about these 10 new heroes in Marvel’s Eternals.
1. Sersi
Eternals is an ensemble movie, but if it were to have a main character, it’d be Sersi, played by Gemma Chan (formerly the Kree Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel). A big thing to note is that Eternals aren’t all-powerful. In fact, they each have their own gift, and Sersi’s is the ability to manipulate matter. With this power, she can turn any one material into something completely different; imagine turning a tree into water or a gun into rubber. Anything is possible.
Sersi is romantically linked to her Earth boyfriend and non-Eternal Dane Whitman (Kit Harington), from whom she keeps her identity a secret. They both reside in London, where Sersi works as a museum curator. Not only that, but her ex is the Eternal Ikaris; the two have been estranged for millennia. It’s Sersi who discovers something disturbing on Earth that leads her to reach out to her fellow Eternals, whom she hasn’t seen in many, many years.
2. Ikaris
The man who flew too close to the sun…well, in legend, that’s who Ikaris is. But in Eternals, this guy is more than just a DIY wax-winged figure. (In fact, he has no wings at all!) Played by former Game of Thrones star Richard Madden, Ikaris is best described as the MCU’s Superman. Having everything but the cape, Ikaris can fly and shoot laser beams out of his eyes, and of course possesses super strength as well.
And, much like Superman, Ikaris has a likable, charismatic attitude which makes him a favorite for many of the Eternals, with some even seeing him as the leader of the group. That said, his past relationship with Sersi complicates matters, and nothing is ever easy when it comes to matters of the heart.