The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has welcomed a serious lineup of badass female superheroes over the years, from Black Widow to Gamora and Shuri, and now, some new ones are on the way in Marvel’s upcoming feat: Eternals. Taking place following the tragic events in Avengers: Endgame, the film will follow an immortal alien race, the Eternals, who have secretly lived on Earth and shaped its history and civilisations.
As if the epic MCU wasn’t enough to have you hooked, the cast is loaded with A-listers, including Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, and Kit Harington. If you needed yet more convincing, Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao—who took home Best Picture at the 2021 Oscars for Nomadland—is putting her own spin on the MCU at the helm of the upcoming project.
Read on for everything we know about Eternals.
The Plot Will Take Place After The Events Of Avengers: Endgame.
Details about the upcoming film have revealed Eternals will take place following the tragic events of Endgame, which left us in the wake of Earth’s standoff with Thanos (played by Josh Brolin).
“Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, The Deviants,” the official synopsis from Marvel Studios reads.
But wait, who exactly are the Eternals? The species was created when the alien Celestials came to Earth and experimented on the human race, says Screen Rant. The results: powerful, immortal beings known as the Eternals and evil, less-evolved creatures known as the Deviants. The Eternals live secretly though, having figured out means to disguise themselves among humans for centuries, protecting the planet against their destructive counterparts.
The Cast Is Jam-Packed With A-Listers.
Among Eternals star-studded lineup is Angelina Jolie as Thena, a warrior and representative for the goddess Athena; Salma Hayek as Ajak, a spiritual leader with super-strength; and Gemma Chan as Sersi, a lover of humankind.
Marvel also looked to Game of Thrones alum to round out its cast, with Richard Madden starring as Ikaris, the most powerful of Eternals, and Kit Harington as Dane Whitman, taking on the role of Black Knight.
Other notable cast members include Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, and Barry Keoghan as Druig.
Eternals Will Introduce Marvel’s First LGBTQI+ Storyline.
Brian Tyree Henry takes on the role of Phastos, an Eternal, who is also Marvel’s first openly gay superhero. Actor Haaz Sleiman will play his husband, and the couple shares a child together.
Marvel boss Kevin Feige says Phastos’s relationship “was always sort of inherent in the story and the makeup of the different types of Eternals,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I think it is extremely well done, and I look forward to that level of inclusion in our future movies being less of a topic.”
It Will Also Feature Marvel’s First Deaf Superhero.
Deaf actress Lauren Ridloff, who appeared in the Academy Award-nominated film Sound of Metal, is set to take on the MCU’s first-ever deaf superhero. “I am more thrilled than overwhelmed about being given the opportunity to represent the deaf community,” she previously said of her role. “I’m very thrilled about that—just to bring in that storyline within the MCU. I think there’s plenty of room for more stories like that.”
The Teaser Trailer Has Officially Been Released
Thankfully, Marvel Studios have released the first official trailer for Eternals, which is set to release in theatres on November 5, 2021.
WATCH BELOW: Eternals Teaser Trailer
