When Eternals was released in 2021, the movie was met with criticism from fans and critics. The second film in the MCU’s Phase 4 introduces ten super-powered beings who have lived on and protected Earth, along with its inhabitants, for thousands of years, only to discover their sinister true purpose.
Many fans felt the story was cluttered and sometimes missed the mark. It was an ambitious film that was able to do a lot with its 2-hour runtime. However, there were some missed opportunities that fans hope will be addressed with a sequel.
10 The Romance Between Sersi And Ikaris Was Underdeveloped
One of the many subplots in Eternals is the complicated romance between Sersi, her human lover Dane Whitman, Whitman’s ex, and fellow Eternal, Ikaris. Her relationship with Ikaris spanned thousands of years but fell flat with audiences, with both of Sersi’s relationships being criticized for lacking depth.
Even though the Sersi/Ikaris relationship was given a lot of attention, there were missed opportunities to help it feel more developed. It was missing the emotional depth of two people who had been in love for thousands of years.
9 It Could Have Introduced The X-Men To The MCU
Many MCU fans believe Eternals missed an opportunity to introduce the X-Men to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the comics, the Eternals were created when Celestinals experimented with ape genetics and created super-powered beings, but there was also a latent superhuman gene. While the words “mutant” and “X-gene” are never used, it is relatively simple to make the connection.
However, the Eternals in the movie are synthetic beings created by Celestials to protect Earth and humankind from the Deviants. While this eliminated a possible X-men introduction, with Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and other Phase Four MCU projects, the X-Men may find another way into the MCU.
8 It Should Have Included The Avengers
The final battle of Eternals ends with Sersi turning the newly hatched Celestial, Tiamut, to stone and preventing the complete destruction of Earth. Something this massive should have alerted some of Earth’s mightiest heroes, but none seem to take notice.
It could be argued that this is a common occurrence in the MCU, where major destruction occurs without other heroes getting involved. However, this could have been used to connect the Eternals with members of the Avengers or other super-powered heroes since the film has been criticized for feeling detached from the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
7 Fixing The MCU’s Lack Of Global Superheroes
The MCU has been criticized for not including, or mentioning, superheroes from around the world, despite the fact that superheroes are clearly a global phenomenon in the MCU. There has been progress in this area with the addition of Black Panther, Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings, and Moon Knight to the MCU, but Eternals could have helped further explore super-powered beings on a global scale.
After the Eternals thought the Deviants had been defeated, they retired to different places worldwide. Some fans feel this diaspora was a chance to mention or include superheroes from other countries like India, where Kingo lives.
6 Kro Could Be More Than A Monster
In the movie, the Deviants were the failed Celestial creations who were designed to protect intelligent life from apex predators but turned into predators instead. Kro is a Deviant who killed Ajak and Gilgamesh, absorbing their powers, changing his appearance, and giving him the ability to speak. Eventually, Kro is defeated by Thena and beheaded during the final battle after he attempted to absorb her powers.
Kro is more than a throw-away villain in the comics. He is a chaotic, immortal warlord and military leader who believes the Deviants should rule the Earth. There is also a storyline where Kro and Thena form a star-crossed romance that they must keep secret from their respected races.
5 Thena’s Forgotten Struggle
Thena, played by Angelina Jolie, is afflicted with a condition known as the Mahd Wy’ry. This condition makes Thena prone to violent outbursts she can’t control, as her mind becomes flooded with memories from her distant past. Rather than have her memory wiped, she and Gilgamesh leave so that Thena can be isolated.
The Mahd Wy’ry is a large part of Thena’s story arc, and by the end of the film, Thena is alone without Gilgamesh, the only one who could soothe her. As a result, she has decided to stay on the ship with Druig and Makkari. The movie ends with no apparent effort to understand the Mahd Wy’ry or why Thena is the only one afflicted with it. If the Eternals return for a sequel, there might be an opportunity to resolve this hanging plotline.
4 It Could Have Benefited From Being A TV Show
Many critics and fans agree that the storyline of Eternals felt cluttered and not as fleshed out as it could have been. The massive scale of the story and its characters’ lives probably would have been better suited for a TV series.
A TV format would have given the story room to breathe and audiences the opportunity to learn more about the heroes and their purpose. Characters like Thena, Sprite, and Ajak would have been given more screen time and their stories could have been explored rather than rushed or set aside.
3 Not Including Zuras or A’lars Was A Missed Opportunity
Given the scope and vast cast of characters in the Eternals comics, when it came time to adapt the property to the big screen, obviously some story elements were not going to make the cut. However, major characters like Zuras and A’lars could have added more background to their world and helped connect the narrative to the rest of the MCU.
In the comics, Zuras, not Ajak, is the leader of the Eternals on Earth and the one who establishes the Uni-Mind, the ability Sersi uses in the film. A’lars is the father of Thanos, and his name is mentioned in Avengers: Endgame when Red Skull addresses Thanos as “Thanos, son of A’lars.” A’lars is also the father of Starfox, who makes an appearance in the end credits of Eternals, making his addition to the MCU seem possible.
2 Kingo’s Character Arc
Kingo, played by Kumail Nanjiani, is the movie’s comic relief and is always there with the sarcastic one-liners. When the audience meets Kingo, he is filming a scene for the latest Bollywood movie he’s starring in. It’s later revealed that he has been passing himself off as his own descendants to further his film career.
Toward the end of Eternals, when the time comes to choose sides and fight, Kingo wants nothing to do with either side. This was a missed opportunity to give his character the same chance to grow as the other Eternals, and it is not until the end of the movie that Kingo is seen again.
1 The Gap In Phastos’s Emotional Journey Is Costly
One of the most interesting characters in the Eternals is the inventive Phastos, who is credited with creating technology that helps humankind advance. However, after he sees the devastation of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, he blames himself and loses his faith in humanity. When Sersi and Ikaris find him, he lives in the suburbs with his husband and son and has no desire to get involved in the Eternals’ struggles.
While his storyline broke ground for LGBTQ+ representation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the gap between losing his faith in humanity to deciding to marry a human and start a family is never explored. It’s evident that Phastos grew significantly
and chose to make a life with a human rather than isolate himself completely. This gap in his story arc left some fans confused, and could have been given more attention.
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