“Eternals” Ushers In A New Stage For Marvel Movies

Marvel came in strong with a new set of heroes that are all fans can talk about. With a critic rating of 48% juxtaposed with an audience rating of 84%, people are up in arms about this new storyline.

Eternals features a group of immortal beings who were sent to Earth to save it from the “deviants” that run rampant. The catch? They cannot interfere with humans (no stopping wars) and they’ve been here since the beginning of civilization. 

Eternals features a star-studded cast, a budget of 200 million, and a female director (Chloé Zhao). While the film isn’t breaking box office records, it is breaking the Marvel mold in many ways.

The Characters

The main characters are directly from the original Eternals comics, as is the case with most Marvel movies. But modern-day Marvel and Chloé Zhao changed it up a bit. The original comic features mostly men as superheroes; Zhao, on the other hand, transformed three originally male parts into kick-ass females, including the group’s leader, Ajak (Salma Hayek).

The Name Game

Each character’s name pays homage to a god or legend of old. This further gives the impression that the Eternals have been around Earth for so long that people have developed religions and followings around them. 

Sersi (Gemma Chan) is based on Cerce, a minor Greek goddess who could transform items. Gilgamesh (Don Lee) is based on the warrior-king with excellent strength. Thena (Angelina Jolie) embodies the characteristics of the Greek goddess of war. Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) is based on Hephaestus, the Greek god of the forge. Ikaris (Richard Madden) gets his name from the character that flew a bit too close to the sun. Druig (Barry Keoghan) comes from the word ‘dragon’. Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) comes from Hermes’ Roman name, Mercury. Ajak is derived from Ajax, a Greek myth about the second greatest fighter in the Trojan war. Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) was based on the Babylonian god, Kingu. And Sprite (Lia McHugh) is another name for fairies. Each character and actor flawlessly embodies the origins of their names, while adding their own superhero flare.

The Plot

Ajak was sent to the Earth at its beginning by the god Arishem. She brings with her eternal beings — five fighters and five thinkers to help her fight the deviants (or monsters) that now roam the Earth. 

After the Eternals kill all the deviants, they remain on Earth instead of going back home to Olympia. None of them know why they remain, but they continue to live semi-normal lives, despite the fact that they can’t age or die.

With many flashbacks and some twists, the movie begins in modern-day London, when Miss Sersi and (still young) Sprite are living together. Sprite is constantly nagging Sersi about her boyfriend (Kit Harington) and causing just enough trouble. 

The jokes come to a halt when a deviant emerges from the water and fights the two Eternals. This is the first time a deviant has attacked an Eternal rather than humans. The two realize the problem is much bigger than they can handle alone, so they seek out the familiar faces of their other teammates, some of whom they haven’t seen for centuries.

The Review

While Marvel can do very little wrong in my eyes, this movie was absolutely astounding. The plot, the twists (the twists!!!!), the costumes (Sammy Sheldon), the inclusivity, and the general aesthetic all went above and beyond. 

The movie was a masterpiece and a work of art. For those of you who shy away from Marvel movies due to their violence and male-heavy movies, this is the movie for you. Halfway through, I asked myself if this was even a ‘true’ Marvel movie because it left behind so many of the heavy action sequences and opted instead to tell a powerful story. This movie felt liberated from the stereotypical male gaze that Marvel movies often fall under, while still remaining true to the high-caliber quality Marvel produces. 

The majority of negative reviews don’t like that the movie lacks a clear villain. And while Marvel fans might not see a character like Thanos come back any time soon, the omission of a “bad guy” led to a thought-provoking piece.

Banned

Yes, Eternals is banned in some places around the world. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait all have banned the new movie for a 2-second kissing scene between two men. There is also a PG-13 rated sex scene at the beginning, so maybe cover your littles’ eyes for the 3 minutes that bare shoulders are shown.

The Positives

My favorite part was Marvel’s first deaf superhero. Makkari was originally drawn as a white man who was not hearing impaired, but they cast Lauren Ridloff in the role, a woman of color who is deaf. Marvel and Chloé Zhao did an excellent job of playing to Makkari’s strengths as a deaf person, allowing her to feel the movements and vibrations of the people around her. “This movie just hits a lot of different communities that have been marginalized and not seen,” she said. “So I definitely feel people will be acknowledged.” Ridloff explained to ABC.

Have you watched Eternals yet? What did you think? Comment below!

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