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Although the twenty-sixth film entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe—Eternals—directed by Chloé Zhao only received a lukewarm response from audiences, labeling a box office dud in the grand scheme of the MCU pantheon, it also fundamentally changed the cosmic hierarchy of the cinematic universe with the introduction of the god-like Eternals and creationary Celestials.
Unfortunately, amidst the myriad concepts and plot threads that Zhao found herself juggling, it seems Eternals was always destined to fail. Making the task even more insurmountable was the fact that Zhao needed to introduce a completely new team of ten characters. And, despite the amazing performances its star-studded cast gave, it was inevitable that some individuals wouldn’t receive the character development they deserved.
10 Fell Short: David Kaye’s Arishem Wasn’t Imposing At All
While David Kaye is relegated to the role of voice actor due to Arishem’s enormous corporeal form, the voice of the prime Celestial Host lacks a sense of ominous disposition that instills fear in audiences. Yes, Kaye’s booming voice is deep and resonant whenever the Celestial does communicate with the Prime Eternal, but it just isn’t imposing.
This is unfortunate given the fact that Zhao’s interpretation of the cosmic origins of the MCU reside with the Celestials as its creators. Comic fans know however that the Celestials answer to a higher power known as Eternity though, although the MCU has yet to canonize Eternity as an actual character within its cinematic universe.
9 Nailed It: Barry Keoghan Overcame Druig’s Sinister Origins
Given Druig’s tumultuous history with his immortal siblings in the comics, Barry Keoghan faced an uphill battle in crafting a version of the Eternal that audiences could sympathize with during Zhao’s film. While often seen as the “black sheep” known for betraying his family, MCU Druig stands by his siblings in their hour of greatest need.
Furthermore, Keoghan engages with some of the film’s more existential problems, questioning why the Eternals don’t intervene in terrible atrocities when they have the power to stop them. The questions hint at the promise of what Eternals could have been, had it not been held back by the laundry list of tropes that have come to expected of every MCU film.
8 Fell Short: Bill Skarsgård’s Kro Was An Unfulfilling Villain
The MCU returns to form by featuring not-so-memorable villains in Zhao’s Eternals. The lead Deviant, Kro, portrayed by Bill Skarsgård was particularly disappointing, leaving fans feeling unfulfilled on the promise of what the Deviant could have become or what his self-actualized motives might’ve been had he been allowed to develop.
Unfortunately, Skarsgård simply doesn’t get much to work with here: Kro doesn’t even gain intelligent auditory capabilities until after he absorbs Gilgamesh’s powers halfway through the film. After remarking about the Eternals and Deviants have both been played the Celestials, Kro only returns to be quickly killed by Thena in the film’s final act.
7 Nailed It: Lauren Ridloff Brings Genuine Joy To Makkari
Among the multifaceted cast that comprise of the film’s ten heroes, Lauren Ridloff seems to have the most fun playing her character, bringing a genuine sense of joy and excitement to all the scenes she finds herself in. Additionally, her on-screen chemistry with Keoghan’s Druig makes the two Eternals feel like some of the most human characters in the family.
Admittedly, Zhao’s adaptation of Makkari in 2021’s Eternals is a vast departure from Jack Kirby’s initial conceptualization of the character, who is a white man in the comics. Ridloff, however, is a woman of color portraying the MCU’s first deaf superhero and proves she’s more than capable of pulling her punches, even going toe-to-toe with Richard Madden’s Ikaris.
6 Fell Short: Ma Dong-seok’s Gilgamesh Was A Disservice
Ma Dong-seok’s Gilgamesh is perhaps the most underused Eternal among the film’s vast cast of immortals. Not only is he denied his fair share of screen time, but his sudden death at the hands of Kro riled up many fans. In fact, his death only functions as character motivation for Thena later on when she moves to confront Kro.
Despite his lacking presence in the film, Ma Dong-seok portrays a noble and kind character selfless in his desire to protect his dear friend Thena from Mahd Wy’ry. Following the fall of Tenochtitlán in the 16th century, Gilgamesh takes Thena to a secluded part of the world where the two live out their days until they’re called upon again.
5 Nailed It: Angelina Jolie Shows Thena’s Elegance And Grace
On the flip side, Angelina Jolie absolutely shines as Thena, a character inspired by, but not to be confused with, the Olympian goddess Athena. The film unquestionably proves that Thena is meant to be a warrior of great skill amongst her family, which is quickly established when she attacks them in an episode of Mahd Wy’ry during the fall of Tenochtitlán.
What makes Thena so enrapturing among audiences is the effortless elegance and grace she exudes whenever she finds herself in a fight, much in the same vein of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman in the DC universe. With not Eternals sequels planned and Jolie expressing disinterest in doing a solo film, fans will have to wait to see what’s next for the battle-hardened Eternal.
4 Fell Short: Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo Bailed On His Family
Similar to Ma Dong-seok, Eternals does Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo a disservice in the film. It’s certainly intriguing that Kingo looks up to Ikaris and refuses to participate in the film’s final fight, but it also denies Nanjiani the opportunity to showcase the immense enthusiasm he has had about his MCU debut.
In the comic adaptation, Kingo’s abilities that vastly differ from the energy projectiles he uses in Eternals. In fact, Kingo spends most of his time in Japan in the comics, and becomes a master swordsmen by learning the ways of the Samurai. Making Kingo a swordsmen feels like a missed opportunity given that only brief glimpses of such heroes have appeared so far.
3 Nailed It: Brian Tyree Henry Plays A Deeply Complex Phastos
While people often associate Brian Tyree Henry with more comedic roles, he showcases his more serious acting chops with his nuanced portrayal of the deeply complicated Phastos in Eternals. Seen as the “brains” in the Eternals, Phastos is directly responsible for humanity’s technological advances for their civilizations.
Unfortunately, this leads to catastrophic circumstances in the MCU, like the atomic bombing at Hiroshima, and causes the Eternal to lose faith in humans. That faith is only restored when he finds brief respite with his husband and son, prompting the guilt-ridden Eternal to return to his immortal family in order to protect his human one.
2 Fell Short: Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman Was Overhyped
While Marvel has been known for its misleading marketing campaigns in the past, it works to the detriment of Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman in Eternals. While Marvel likely saw the film as a chance to capitalize on the Game of Thrones reunion between Harington and Madden, it unfortunately led to the illusion that Whitman would be featured more prominently.
Granted, fans should’ve expected Harington to only have a couple scenes given that he’s a human and not an Eternal. However, his major presence in the trailers and connections to the Black Knight suggested the future Avenger would tag along for the ride. Instead, fans walked away feeling largely unfulfilled about what Harington’s future potential in the MCU might be.
1 Nailed It: Gemma Chan Steals The Spotlight With Sersi
If audiences had to pinpoint one character among the Eternals massive cast that could be identified as the film’s protagonist, it would undoubtedly be Gemma Chan’s Sersi, a kind-hearted Eternal who takes on the mantle of Prime Eternal following the sudden death of their previous leader, Salma Hayek’s Ajak.
As the film progresses, Chan’s Sersi finds herself in the center of her family’s argument about whether humanity is worth saving or not, a dilemma that sees her epistemologically split from her former lover Ikaris. Simply put, Eternals sees Chan deliver a gravitas that operates as the emotional core of the film and drives the plot forward.
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