13 years. 26 movies. The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues its unprecedented run in a couple of weeks when Eternals hits theaters. A brand new team of heroes is here to change everything you know about the MCU and set the tone for what we can expect to see in the future. The result is yet another huge hit for Marvel Studios and something that will have fans talking for a long time to come.
The first thing that stands out about Eternals is how much it is unlike anything we’ve seen previously in the MCU. Many of Marvel’s films, especially origin stories, follow a blueprint of sorts and we end up seeing a lot of similarities in them. Eternals is still a bit of an origin story for these characters, but it is told in a completely different way, spanning several thousand years and jumping through time to tell the story.
There really aren’t any downsides to this movie but as you would expect with a movie that introduces so many new heroes, it can be a little bit crowded at times. The plot does get a bit complex as well but it all works out in the end and each and every character gets to have their moment. The film rises to the challenge of prominently featuring so many new characters and bold new concepts. Still, if there is any negative to this movie at all, it’s just that audiences are going to want to see more of each character.
And a big reason for that is the incredible cast of this film. The chemistry they share on screen is instantly electric and leads to a plethora of powerful scenes. Gemma Chan proves to be the next big female star of the MCU and Richard Madden if the perfect compliment to her character. The real scene stealer though is definitely Kumail Nanjiani, who will have audiences cracking up throughout the film. That being said, there is no weak link to this cast and each member really gets a chance to shine.
One of the areas in which this cast gets a chance to shine is the visually stunning action scenes throughout this movie. While the action is very different in this movie, thanks in large part to the CGI villains, there is still plenty of it to go around. Particularly, Thena and Makkari, played by Angelina Jolie and Lauren Ridloff respectively, will have fans jumping out of their seats in excitement during their explosive scenes.
One thing Marvel has always done well though is balance all of that action with a heavy dose of humor and Eternals follows suit in that department. The aforementioned Nanjiani gets plenty of laughs but the whole cast really gets a chance to crack their jokes. Brian Tyree Henry, Kit Harrington, Don Lee and Lia McHugh all stand out in this department.
In addition to the stellar cast, the story of this new film really stands out. The movie jumps around throughout a span of about 7,000 years and pieces things together for the audience, while they remain on the edge of their seats trying to figure things out.
That is a challenging task though as this film takes quite a few wild twists and turns. The story is loosely based on the Marvel Comics and the characters they’ve given us, but things are drastically changed, creating a very new story. Those who have read a bunch of Eternals comics should probably do their best to forget almost everything they know about these characters and their story.
And for anyone thinking this might be the Marvel movie they can skip and still follow along with what’s going on in the MCU in the future – you would be very wrong. Instead, this seems as though it might just be the most important Marvel film in some time as it lays out some very big plot points for the future. In fact, this film may just be a huge game-changer for what we thought the MCU was up to this point. And on top of that, two shocking and exciting post-credit scenes are going to have fans talking for a long time to come.
Overall, Eternals is yet another huge success for Marvel Studios and a complete game-changer for the MCU. The original story and the star-studded cast are sure to delight audiences in a variety of ways. Whether it’s the pule-pounding action or the laugh out loud gags, there is so much to love about this movie. To put it simply, Eternals is the best Marvel movie since Avengers: Endgame. Coincidentally, It might also be the most important.
Marvel’s Eternals hits theaters on November 5.