Re-Visiting the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Eternals

 "Eternals" (2021)

When Marvel initially announced that they were going to make a movie about the Eternals, there was a collective, "Huh?" Even comics folks weren't sure who these immortals were. They were created by legendary comic creator Jack Kirby. I've always felt like the Eternals were Kirby making New Gods for Marvel. They are powerful and live forever. And Marvel nabbed Chloé Zhao to write and direct who ended up winning an Oscar between the time that "Eternals" was shot and was released. That's nothing to sneeze at.

Principal photography began in July 2019 and ended in February 2020. The film stars Gemma Chan as Sersi, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Barry Keoghan as Druig, Don Lee as Gilgamesh, Harish Patel as Karun, Kit Harrington as Dane Whitman, Salma Hayek as Ajak and Angelina Jolie as Thena. The film was written by Chloé Zhao, Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo and Kaz Firpo. It was directed by Chloé Zhao. "Eternals" premiered on November 5, 2021.

Nice outfits.

Before we dive in to talking about "Eternals," I wanted to talk a little bit about Phase Four, as a whole. We are nearing the end of this first phase of "The Multiverse Saga." It will officially come to an end with December's "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special." A lot of people have complained about this phase. Some of those complaints have been hogwash. There have been complaints that there has been too much diversity. That Marvel is "too woke." If you're reading this and you think that, well, you're an idiot. The other big complaint and the only one I'd say was kind of credible is that this phase feels kind of all over the place. "The Infinity Saga" was very connected. Each film led into the next one. That hasn't been the case with Phase Four. It makes sense with the introduction of television series into the mix that things wouldn't be as connected. I am a big fan of this phase. I think that sometimes the focus is on connecting so it doesn't give the individual stories time to breathe and we have gotten that a lot in this phase. We've really gotten to know some of these characters in deeper ways and we've been introduced to some really interesting characters and I'm not sure some of this would have been possible earlier in the MCU's time.

"Eternals" was the first MCU film that was panned by critics. It has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score at 47%. I mention that because despite that rating, I don't think that it's deserved. "Eternals" isn't a terrible movie. I wouldn't even call it the worst movie in the MCU. That distinction will most likely always belong to "Thor: The Dark World." When I saw "Eternals," I described it as aggressively OK and upon my first viewing since, I'd say... the same thing. But that isn't necessarily the worst thing.

I spend a lot of these re-visits praising the various actors and I think there is a good reason for that. You have to give it up for Marvel and Kevin Feige. They really take their time and pick the best actors to embody these characters. And just like I never in a million years thought that I would see Cate Blanchett in a Marvel movie, I thought the same about Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek.

He's got the whole world in his hands.

Gemma Chan's Sersi is the heart and soul of this movie. You might recognize Chan from her role in "Captain Marvel" as the Kree Minn-Erva. Chan is so great in this role. I love Sersi being the Eternal that is front and center in this movie, because it's not what we normally see. You'd expect it to be Richard Madden's Ikaris, what with his flying and super strength or laser beams. Or maybe Salma Hayek's Ajak, who is the Prime Eternal. Or Angelina Jolie's badass warrior, Thena. But to make the focal of movie, the Eternal with maybe the least flashy power is a great choice on Zhao's part. I have to say that I do think Sersi's transmutation powers are super cool. One of my favorite visual moments of the movie is when Sersi turns the London bus into a shower of rose petals. It's really breathtaking. 

Lauren Ridloff makes MCU history as the first deaf superhero, Makkari. Ridloff is a gem. It can be difficult for actors who don't speak to connect and convey emotions, but Ridloff doesn't have that issue. She is cheeky and fun and a badass. I am a sucker for a speedster and we can add Makkari to the list of speedsters I love. Since we are talking about firsts, Brian Tyree Henry plays Phastos, the first LGBT superhero in the MCU. This isn't just lip service. Phastos is in a committed relationship with his husband and their son. This is a good first step but it's just that a first step. I love that we got a chaste kiss between them, but I want more. Representation matters and this is a big deal, but there is a still a long way to go and I hope that Marvel keeps bringing it.

Kumail Nanjiani is so likable that going into it, I knew that he was going to be one of my favorites and he didn't disappoint. As Kingo, Nanjiani looks like he is having an absolute blast. Once the Eternals go their separate ways. He becomes a Bollywood star that keeps his career going by posing as various members of the same family which is extremely clever. From the moment that Kingo makes his present day debut doing a Bollywood dance on the set of his newest movie, I was hooked. Kingo is sort of the bridge between all the members of his family. He is funny. He tells it like it is. He is making a documentary at the same time that all this is going on. How much do we love his valet, Karun and the cameras he keeps pulling out of nowhere. My biggest complaint about Kingo is how he bails on the final fight. I get it, but I honestly think that it does a disservice to the character and it sort of bothers me how no one acknowledges it at the end of the film.

It's Thena, not AThena.

Visually, "Eternals" is really stunning right from the start. That first shot of their ship the Domo is eye popping. It gives me "2001: A Space Odyssey" or "Star Wars" vibes. The action, when it happens, is really great. Zhao does a great job highlighting each Eternal's power set and the fight choreography is solid, which isn't always the case when there is that much CGI involved in the fights themselves. My favorite action set piece is the fight with the Deviants in the forest. It is so freaking cool. You feel it when an Eternal crashes through a tree, splintering it. There are constant shifts from battles in the air to the ground. It has one of the most emotional moments in the film with the death of Gilgamesh and another eye popping use of Sersi's powers. Honestly, I wish the movie had more of this.

I have to give it up for the portrayal of the Celestials as well. Arishem is so impressive. He's awe inspiring, which a Celestial should be. And seeing him like casting his shadow over Earth, I have high hopes for Galactus' eventual entry into the MCU.

There are some not great things about this move. First off is the run time. It is an ass punishing 2 hours and 35 minutes. It's a lot and it's not necessary. Sometimes it feels like things drag on. I appreciate Zhao's penchant for these beautiful landscape shots and track ins on individuals, but we didn't need as many as we got. 

I really liked Ikaris' heel turn. I'm not saying it wasn't totally telegraphed, but it was a good reveal and it immediately made Ikaris like ten times more interesting. The issue is that we are made to believe that the Deviants are the villains of the movie and they are kind of awful? And in the end, they don't really matter. They are definitely victims of the Celestials just like the Eternals, but they didn't focus on that enough. Plus, the evolving Deviant that kills Gilgamesh and Thena confronts at the end of the movie feels super pointless. Like, why are we focusing on this when a Celestial is getting ready to emerge and blow up the Earth? It just seems silly. And maybe not the most well thought out.

While I think it is super cool that Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek are in "Eternals," I do think they are woefully underused. Ajak is found dead in the first 30 minutes of the movie and is only seen in flashback. I think Hayek does a great job but I would have liked to know more about Ajak and maybe more of her role with the Celestials before she decided to betray them. Angelina Jolie is a big draw for this movie and Thena is an undeniable badass so of course they saddle her with Mahd Wy'ry, the sickness that causes Eternals to go crazy. It's frustrating because for most of the movie, Thena is saddled with doddering around and being looked after. She rarely has much agency of her own and it's disappointing. The main reason I'm hoping for a sequel is so we get more Thena.

Don't worry darling.

Part of the emotional centerpiece of the movie is supposed to be this love story between Sersi and Ikaris. The problem here is that I'm not buying it at all. I don't think that Gemma Chan and Richard Madden have that much chemistry, so its difficult to care about this. We talked about firsts and "Eternals" has the first sex scene in the MCU, with Ikaris and Sersi bumping undying uglies on a beach. Here's the thing, just because something hasn't been done, doesn't mean it has to be done. This sex scene is so unsexy. I was uncomfortable when I watched it the first time and was maybe more uncomfortable watching it this time. But seriously, I think the real relationship that we care about in this movie is Druig and Makkari. That's what I care about. That is the slash fiction I'm reading. I mean, heck, even Kit Harrington had more chemistry with Gemma Chan and they didn't spend a lot of time onscreen together. Though it was nice to see "Game of Thrones" brothers, Harrington and Madden, back on screen together. 

Poor Kit Harrington. He's barely in this movie. I'm hoping there will be more Whitman and it is teased that there will be. Dane is attempting to tell Sersi about his history with the Ebony Blade and how he's the Black Knight when she is taken by Arishem. I am a fan of the Black Knight, particularly the current incarnation of him in the comics where he is kind of a sad sack, so I hope that he is going to return. 

The post credits scenes are pretty great. The mid credits scene features the debut of Starfox or Eros, the brother of the Mad Titan Thanos and fellow eternal along with his valet, Pip the Troll. Pip is voiced by Patton Oswalt, who does great, no surprise. Harry Styles certainly looks the part, but who knows if he can walk the walk when he has to do more than just swagger onscreen and look debonair and handsome. The post credits scene is one of the first in a while that isn't actually a throwaway. Dane is struggling with the Ebony Blade before we hear a voice asks him if he's ready for it. That voice belongs to Mahershala Ali's, Blade. Black Knight in the "Blade" movie?

Patton said that a sequel to "Eternals" is happening, even though it hasn't been officially announced by Marvel. I really hope there is one because I think there is a lot of potential here and I have faith that they can clean it up and make an "Eternals" movie that is clearly great.

Next up, it's Christmas in the MCU and Clint Barton is just trying to get home. That's right. It's our next MCU Disney+ series, "Hawkeye."

So, let me have it. I know people have lots of opinions about "Eternals" and the comments is your chance to express them.