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.
3. Ajak
Some of the Eternals look to Ikaris as their leader, and others look to Ajak. (It’s complicated.) This character, portrayed by Salma Hayek, possesses the ability to heal, which is super helpful in battle.
Ajak, like most of the other Eternals, has a fondness for humans. Not only are they there to protect the human race, but they watch over it as it evolves through the years. She’s kind of humanity’s mom. And not only does she know when to help humanity, but also when to let them be, so that they can all grow and learn from their lessons. When Ajak and the other teammates split, she resides at a lowkey farm in the Dakotas.
4. Sprite
Meet the youngest member of the Eternals…well, the youngest-looking, anyway. Sprite may look like an adolescent, but she’s just about as old as any of the other Eternals, which means she’s thousands of years old.
Sprite, played by Lia McHugh, was originally a boy in the comics. But the gender change doesn’t really make a difference in the film. Beyond that, there’s much more to Sprite that meets the eye. Imagine what pretending to be human for thousands of years is like when you look like a child.
Sprite has the gift of creating projections and sometimes even shapeshifting, the latter of which can come in handy when she’s tired of being a “kid.”
5. Kingo
Kumail Nanjiani enters the MCU with the character of Kingo. While Ajak and Ikaris could both claim the title of leader of the Eternals, Kingo is pretty much a follower. But that doesn’t bother him because he takes pride in his team.
When disguised as a human, Kingo lives his life as a big Bollywood star. He thrives off the excitement of fame and fortune, and finds a way to do it without drawing too much suspicion. When it is time for the comedic character to get into battle, he’s able to shoot energy out of his hands. Or, as Nanjiani once put it, his superpowers are using finger guns.
6. Phastos
Every team needs a smart guy, and Phastos is the brain of the bunch. While Phastos (played by Brian Tyree Henry) is likely a good fighter, he’s definitely at his best away from the center of the brawl.
Phastos is best described as the team tinkerer. He can create technology and tools that can help the team out in any dire situation, and boy does he know his stuff. As a semi-guardian of humanity, Phastos is also always brainstorming new tools and technology for humans to use. Of course, that means he has to use his best judgment to determine what technology humans are ready for. And sometimes that’s not always an easy judgment to make.
7. Thena
Probably the biggest name in the star-studded cast is Angelina Jolie, who makes her MCU debut as Thena, the strong warrior goddess-like Eternal who is just as fierce as she looks.
You’ll find that many of the Eternals’ reputations proceed them. And the Greek Goddess of War Athena? Well, that’s supposedly who Thena really is. History just changed some names and facts as time went on.
Thena’s strength is that she is a brave and noble fighter. She’s the strength of the team, and can forge weapons out of thin air. No warrior could ever weaken Thena, but make no mistake, there are other forces that can slow her down.
8. Gilgamesh
Some people are nimble fighters like Thena. But others are all brawn. That describes Gilgamesh played by Don Lee. Gilgamesh is so strong he would probably have no problem holding off the Incredible Hulk himself, or possibly even Thanos.
Gilgamesh is able to concentrate his energy into his hands. And once he’s all powered up, it’s clobberin’ time! Yes, that’s technically the Thing’s catchphrase. But Gilgamesh can bear that slogan ably while we await the arrival of the Fantastic Four in the MCU.
9. Druig
Gilgamesh and Thena have their strength of arms, and Druig (Barry Koeghan) has his mind. This character has the power of mind control, meaning he can influence others to do exactly what he wants. He doesn’t even have to wave his hand or use Jedi mind tricks like in Star Wars. All Druig has to do is assert his will on any number of people, and it shall be done.
Of course, when you have that kind of power, you might be tempted to misuse it. And that’s something this hero struggles with when he faces a complicated decision about doing what’s best for humanity.
10. Makkari
Last but not least, we have one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most unique heroes, Makkari. Played by Lauren Ridloff, Makkari is special because she’s the first deaf character in the MCU. As such, Makkari communicates with her fellow teammates through sign language. She’s highly perceptive about her environment, so you want to think twice about trying to pull one over on this hero.
Not only that, but Makkari has the gift of superspeed. This makes her Marvel’s version of the Flash. And even though we had a super-fast hero before with Quicksilver, he died in Age of Ultron, which makes Makkari the MCU’s resident speed demon. She may even be faster than Quicksilver, who never really got the chance to show off his full potential. But Makkari, for sure, is quicker than quick!
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