Marvel’s Eternals is arguably the most “different” Marvel Studios project people have seen in years. It has a director whose films are nothing like the MCU, tells a story that’s part origin story part superhero team up, part dysfunctional family drama, and it sets up a completely new view on the MCU that is both cosmic and mystical. Simply put, it’s a lot, and it’s also VERY unique. And while that dual approach of nuanced quantity may make it struggle at times, it’s definitely a movie that can make an MCU fan feel things movies prior haven’t made them feel before. Allow me to explain.

Directed by Chloe Zhao Eternals focuses on the titular characters, a group of ten, functionally immortal (or eternal) and superhuman beings, with a vast range of powers and a task of protecting humanity from the deviants, another extraterrestrial and powerful race of more beastly tendencies. Right of the bat you could hear this synopsis and think “Superman” or “Wonder Woman” especially when you look at characters like Richard Madden’s Ikaris or Angelina Jolie’s Thena, but while the Eternals may be billed as godly and larger than life, right off the bat Zhao translates what they truly are: an incredibly dysfunctional family given godly abilities but ultimately no better than they humans they seemingly protect. Right from the get go this group of cosmic protectors seems rife with the best and worst of human emotions, from unchecked ambition to passion to insecurities to fear and jealousy. The Eternals are made human and relatable even if they talk about stories that have lasted thousands of years, and it makes them seem more endearing characters. With a ten strong cast featuring some of the best talent Hollywood has to offer, the characters are acted well too, the group consists of the already mentioned Ikaris and Thena, but also Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos , Lauren Ridloff’s Makkari, Lia McHugh’s Sprite, Barry Keoghan’s Druig, Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo, Don Lee’s Gilgamesh , Salma Hayek’s Ajak (their leader) and Gemma Chan’s Sersi who’s in many ways the films lead. It’s a stellar list of actors that also fill the gamut as far diversity of race, talent , and past experience is concerned.

And if the cast seems a little daunting, well that’s because like a lot of other aspects of this movie, it is in some ways. Chloe Zhao took on a gigantic task here and mostly succeeds, setting up a vast new corner of the MCU, 10 new amazing characters to dive into (not to mention setup for a few new heroes as well) and some of the most beautiful set pieces and cinematography to ever grace the MCU. However, for many Eternals is probably a film that should have two parts. Like Warner Brothers’ Dune, Eternals has a lot of plots to juggle as well as characters, and it doesn’t always hit home in that regard. Some characters and plot definitely get the lion’s share of time and focus, namely Ikaris ,Sersi, Sprite, and Kingo, with Thena and Gilgamesh having an adorable die plot of their own. However Phastos , Makari and Druig aren’t as lucky, mostly getting admirable action scenes and being used more as a centerpiece to a plot point rather than characters with their own arcs. There is also the sheer amount of information and word-building that this movie does, which to say the least, is a crazy amount. Eternals basically reshapes some key aspects of what the MCU is, and while none of these additions and retcons are unwelcome (some actually make sense when you come to think of it), they do make one scratch their head once or twice.

Regardless of the breath of information thrown at you however, chances are you’ll still enjoy every part of what the Eternals ride has to offer. As we said, the characters are key here, and all of them are fun to watch. Sersi and Phastos are shown to be the ones most enamored with humanity, Sersi herself basically having integrated into them , living among them and even getting a new human boyfriend in Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman(a quick Google search will tell you who that is). Ajak is essentially the Eternals’ mother more than she is a leader, a role Hayek plays well, being well intentioned and wishing the best for her family. Druig and Makari are shown to be the rebels of the team, while Sprite explores what would hurt about being a thousands of years old alien who looks like a child. Kingo and Ikaris are often the scene stealers however, with Kumail Nanjiani easily flexing his comedic muscles in the role as the former. He’s playful, clearly self-obsessed and driven to enjoy his time on earth playing movie stars for literal centuries. His dedication to Ikaris however, is what’s most interesting about him.

Ikaris is basically played as a superman type figure. Dedicated, just and loyal to his fellow Eternals. Despite not being their leader everyone views him as such, and Kingo more than anyone is his biggest fan. It creates an interesting dynamic between them, as Ikaris is often annoyed by Kingo, but values his friendship and allegiance more than anything. In fact, that stoic dichotomy that Madden shows is what makes Ikaris a more compelling character. He fills the role of leader and is adamant about protecting people, more so Sersi who he loves, but he’s also burdened by the weight of such behavior. More than anything, Ikaris is where the movie explores its themes of godhood, purpose and destiny more than anywhere else. Halfway through, the Eternals essentially discover information that makes them question their objectives and mission, and it’s Ikaris that’s hit the hardest by this. He basically becomes an anecdote for “what actually makes you a hero” and Madden plays this struggle to perfection. It’s a really great way o show the movies themes right up front and thankfully the rest of the cast doesn’t fall behind either. As we said, it’s a movie about a super-powered dysfunctional family, and it takes everyone’s performances to uplift it, especially in the more emotional moments. It’s great that Zhao subverted a lot of expectations about these characters as well, basically driving home the point that despite being designed as (and I quote) “ synthetic beings unable to evolve”, the Eternals are definitely capable of evolving beyond their primary function, and that’s what makes them compelling.

But don’t worry, it’s not just character work in these movies, after all you came to see super-powered heroes, and while Zhao is not as intense about her action as say, the Russo brothers, she definitely brings a lot of the Eternals’ abilities to play. From combat powerhouses like Ikaris ,Thena and Gilgamesh, to more nuanced powers like Druig’s mind control , Sersi’s ability to change matter to her will, or most thrillingly, Makari’s superspeed. She wasn’t shown reversing time like DC’s flash, but trust us, nothing feels quite as thrilling as when Lauren Ridloff’s character gets to cut loose. And with the top-notch visuals at play here, you’ll want to replay a lot of those scenes. Even the deviants, which honestly I would have thought would be forgettable, borderline terrible CGI monstrosities, actually carry a certain sense of weight and tangibility to them, in a way that makes them and their main villain Kro much more intimidating . Again, if you’re a visuals person, this is by far one of the best Marvel features you can watch. Both from a cinematography and graphics perspective, Zhao pulls off an amazing looking movie, and this makes us hope we see her influence in other features as well.

So should you watch Eternals? Honestly, we see no reason why you shouldn’t. Yes it doesn’t have the highest Rotten Tomatoes score, and it does try to do too much at once sometimes, but it definitely brings one of the most unique teams to the MCU, and not for the reasons you may think. It’s deep, emotional, and character focused in a genre literally called cinematic theme park rides sometimes, and it breaks new ground for the MCU in ways that will impact it in years to come. You should definitely give it a watch, and we can talk about those crazy after credits scenes after that.

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