In the esteemed realm of Marvel fandom, somewhere in the nooks and crannies of the multiverse, lie at least a few humans who have actually enjoyed Eternals. But nobody is ready to address the Celestial in the room. Sediment at the bottom rank of all the MCU films, it is a welcome whisper the studio has tucked under the rug. Despite casting an entire constellation of Hollywood A-listers, the Eternals met with a tragic fate at the box office. And now, unfortunately, Marvel has officially sidestepped one of its most intriguing teams of mythologically-charged, unique superheroes, depriving them of a scintillating legacy they could have established.

A gemstone that continues to glitter in the dark, instead, Eternals became MCU's most polarizing chapter in recent times.

Coming out in the pandemic-battered year of 2021, Eternals was beset with a multitude of problems. It was theoretically a daring, creative experiment: an ensemble of ten new superheroes introduced simultaneously, a complex mythological storytelling, and themes never before attempted in the MCU. It made $402 million on a budget of over $230 million. Though not a failure, in comparison to other MCU blockbusters, and considering Marvel's hopes, it did not make the mark. And now, any future for the characters to return has been squashed after the box office failure, as Marvel is officially not bringing them back in Avengers: Secret Wars. Despite the initial buzz of comebacks or TV spin-offs, Marvel boss Kevin Feige has made it clear that no Eternals sequel is in the works.

Within Marvel's vision for the future, their decision-making reveals why they are keen on not bringing Eternals back anytime soon. Avengers: Secret Wars guarantees multiversal reunions and highly anticipated cameos, but the Eternals are strangely left out. The main reason? Business circumspection. Compared to the Avengers, X-Men, or Deadpool, the Eternals failed to gain strong fan recognition alongside box-office returns, and MCU tends to favor those superheroes who pull in more crowds rather than their characteristic gravitas, even if it means pushing new faces to the forefront of Doomsday, such as the new Reed Richards.

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What seems like a strategic omission could might as well be a forgotten promise because Eternals contains a rare re-watchability many superhero blockbusters would only pray for. 

Yes, MCU's Eternals is not their best work. But that does not take away from the fact that it is one of their most unique character-driven narrative in Phase 4. Over the years, with the film marinating in streaming platforms, the fandom has come to a consensus that it was indeed "overhated." While critics remained divided, numerous viewers appreciated Eternals for its artistic vision, poetic voice, and diversity in the narrative, for it was like an art film rife with intimate character introspection, visually striking cinematography, and, most importantly, a refreshing take on experimental sci-fi. Marvel has rarely zoomed in on inter-character relationships or psychological atmosphere, like between Thena and Gilgamesh, or the speed-enhanced Makkari.

Marvel's oblivion towards Eternals is an abandonment of creative depth. Not all Norse gods could be explained as superpowered aliens, but Eternals enriched imagination with its most human-like mythological characters. Comprising a cast of Game of Thrones heartthrobs, Kit Harington as Black Knight and Richard Madden as Ikaris, the movie had a rich world-building opportunity. Helmed by Chloé Zhao, Eternals unleashed Gemma Chan's Sersi, Barry Keoghan's Druig, Angelina Jolie's Thena, Kumail Nanjiani's Kingo, Salma Hayek's Ajak, and even Harry Styles's cameo as Eros, somehow lost to poor scripting and celebrity status. In sacrificing complexity, the studio omits something precious: the chance to develop its mythic ambitions with profound heroes, ahead of its time. 

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A hard truth to grasp is that despite its smothered potential, Eternals had its fair share of struggles. If only Marvel could nurture the characters better.

For the movie critics, Eternals seemed too dense and convoluted in its screenplay, overcrowding underdeveloped characters with an awkward pacing, and tone changes jarring, swaying between contemplative seriousness and weird humor. Bearing witness to the emotional impact, Kumail Nanjiani, who underwent a gobsmacking body-transformation for his role as Kingo, disclosed that the bad reviews put him into therapy. During an appearance on the Inside of You With Michael Rosenbaum podcast, he admitted the suffocating pressure he felt when the movie flopped. Viewers, too, at that time, had difficulty focusing with a dozen characters whose histories and legacies had been condensed into one behemoth feature.

However, years later, as Eternals broke out of the consumerist echo chamber, it began to show its sincerity in storytelling and character dynamics, deserving another chance to rerun in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it enters its new Phase 6 with a family dynamic in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, released in July 2025, despite its backlash. From care-giving to mental breakdowns and soulmate romance, Eternals has explored several nuances of superhero relationships, which are more than just a superficial team of co-workers fighting aliens. Streaming now on Disney+, Eternals' greatness is not defined by box office receipts but a distinctive heartbeat powered by stellar acting that seems like a squandered potential. 

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What are your thoughts on Marvel's Eternals? Did you enjoy the movie? Tell us in the comments below.