New Eternals: Marvels Grand Venture Struggles Under the Weight of Its Epic Ambitions

Eternals — currently screening in theaters globally — has a lot to offer. After all, it stands as the second-longest feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s history, boasting a 156-minute duration (credits included), surpassed only by the grand finale of the Avengers saga, Avengers: Endgame. The cast of Eternals features 10 immortal beings, with prominent performances from Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, and Kumail Nanjiani. Its narrative stretches across millennia: from Mesopotamia in 5,000 BC to modern-day London, encompassing the Spanish conquest of the 15th century and the Gupta Empire in 400 AD. While there are numerous lore and exposition segments, even that isn’t sufficient. Eternals kicks off with a three-paragraph crawl — reminiscent of Star Wars but with a somber tone — that outlines the origins of the Eternals, their primary antagonist, and their mission on Earth.

It’s overwhelming — and despite its two-and-a-half-hour length, Eternals struggles under the immense expectations placed upon it. It’s akin to being thrust into Avengers: Age of Ultron without any prior knowledge of earlier MCU films. To give credit where it’s due, Marvel has previously tackled ensemble narratives, as seen with Guardians of the Galaxy. However, James Gunn featured a talking tree and a sarcastic creature among its five main characters, whereas Eternals presents TEN human-like figures that are completely unfamiliar to us. This presents a significant challenge for any writer-director, even for one who has received Oscars for her work. Earlier this year, director Chloé Zhao earned accolades for Best Picture and Best Director for her film Nomadland, starring Frances McDormand.

It’s concerning that Eternals doesn’t truly feel like a Chloé Zhao film. This may stem from the fact that we have yet to see a Zhao project of this magnitude before. Prior to Eternals, Zhao was celebrated for creating poetic narratives that delve into rural America, often with non-professional actors. This approach lent her films a sense of authenticity, realism, and an intimate, documentary-like quality. Conversely, Eternals is far from that. It is a Marvel superhero epic featuring immortal entities. They lack relatability, include colossal beings, and unmistakably feel like a product of Marvel Studios. While Zhao brings her affection for capturing scenes in the golden hour, Eternals showcases stunning landscapes and is visually appealing, with some settings having a palpable quality. Yet, all of that remains superficial.

Zhao fails to infuse the warmth and depth she is renowned for in Eternals — delivering instead a vast and visually striking film that lacks substance, a criticism frequently leveled at Marvel.

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The opening crawl of Eternals reveals that the titular beings were created by Arishem, the Prime Celestial. Consider Arishem as a super deity who engages in planet-scale matters — fitting since Celestials are themselves planet-sized. Arishem sent our group of Eternals to guard Earth against the Deviants, malevolent creatures resembling apex predators. They were commanded not to interfere in human conflicts. The Eternals arrived on Earth over 7,000 years ago and have been living in secrecy, having parted ways centuries ago due to a calamity, as further narration elaborates.

Sersi (Gemma Chan, from Humans) possesses the ability to alter any inanimate matter and works at a Natural History Museum in London. Ikaris (Richard Madden, from Game of Thrones) resembles Marvel’s version of Superman, as he can fly and emits energy beams from his eyes. Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani, from Silicon Valley), who can unleash energy blasts from his hands, has taken on the unusual guise of Bollywood’s biggest star. Sprite (Lia McHugh, from The Lodge) can create lifelike illusions and appears as a 12-year-old. Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry, from Atlanta) is a technological genius.

Makkari (Lauren Ridloff, from The Walking Dead) is effectively Marvel’s take on The Flash due to her super speed. Druig (Barry Keoghan, from Dunkirk) has the power to control human minds on a grand scale. Gilgamesh (Don Lee, from Train to Busan) is the strongest of the Eternals, capable of stopping nearly anything with his fist. Thena (Angelina Jolie), who embodies the essence of the Goddess of War, can materialize weapons from thin air. Lastly, Ajak (Salma Hayek) possesses healing abilities and leads the group as the “Prime Eternal” (serving a maternal role) while being able to communicate with Arishem.

Eternals utilizes its first half to travel through time, showcasing the group’s exploits on Earth — the significant moments they participated in, the reasons behind their separation, and the gradual reunion in the current day as the old Deviant threat resurfaces. It might be somewhat engaging, but it fails to be truly captivating. Frustratingly, Eternals never fully delves into the lives of these immortal yet flawed individuals.

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Salma Hayek as Ajak in Eternals
Photo Credit: Disney/Marvel Studios

Unsurprisingly, with such a large ensemble, not all characters in Eternals receive equal focus. Sersi and Ikaris dominate the screen time, aligning with Chan and Madden’s top billing. However, their “love story spanning millennia” is so hastily put together that it unfolds in a single scene and feels abrupt. Jolie’s character is underutilized in a one-dimensional role that squanders her star appeal except for one moment. Hayek, initially apprehensive about being offered a grandmother role, more or less embodies that in her reduced portrayal as a maternal figure to the Eternals.

One significant character inexplicably steps away during the climactic battle, yet no one discusses their absence even as they reappear for the finale. Kit Harington, a co-star with Madden from Game of Thrones, has a minor role that essentially acts as a teaser for his future MCU storylines.

Phastos and Makkari, too, find themselves sidelined. This feels particularly disappointing given Eternals has been marketed as Marvel’s most diverse film to date. (Yes, I recognize it’s a low bar and that representation should have been prioritized earlier.) Phastos and Makkari are the MCU’s first openly gay and deaf superheroes, respectively, yet their contributions are brief and scant. I was genuinely surprised that India’s censor board didn’t cut the same-sex kiss, a common practice in past instances. There’s also a short PG-13-friendly intimate moment, marking a first for Marvel.

Eternals grapples with Marvel’s overarching villain issue as well. The Deviants are not at all compelling — their inability to speak largely contributes to this. In fact, some even lack names, despite appearing repeatedly throughout the film. One doesn’t even show up until the movie is three-quarters done.

A refreshing element comes from the comic relief provided by Kingo and his camera-wielding assistant Karun (Harish Patel, from Gunda). Kingo appears to be the only Eternal with a sense of humor, and Nanjiani along with Patel injects vitality into the film. It’s truly impressive how often Patel manages to steal the spotlight in a project filled with stars. Likely, this is because the other characters, aside from Kingo, are portrayed as gods bogged down by tremendous responsibilities.

Thanks to this duo, Eternals breaks the fourth wall in a sense as Karun follows Kingo everywhere with a camera, leading to some humorous moments and over-the-top antics that alleviate the dramatic tension. Through Kingo and Karun, Zhao approaches any form of meaningful commentary — intended or not, some dialogue in Eternals pierces into Bollywood culture. It raised the question of who contributed such insights among the writers.

The humor also derives from references to various MCU characters and events — Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is mentioned — alongside jabs at its competitor, DC Comics, with jokes comparing Eternals‘ characters to Superman and Batman’s butler Alfred Pennyworth.

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Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Gemma Chan as Sersi, Lia McHugh as Sprite in Eternals
Photo Credit: Disney/Marvel Studios

The action sequences in Eternals are not particularly impressive either. If you were anticipating that Zhao’s penchant for extended takes would result in longer action scenes, prepare to be let down. The movie is cut and edited just like any typical Marvel release. Acclaimed filmmaker Lucrecia Martel shared that she declined to direct Black Widow after they proposed to “handle” the action sequences themselves. While I could be mistaken, it seems Zhao isn’t responsible for the movie’s grand set pieces. Yes, there are moments of flair, utilizing unique powers and showcasing the extraterrestrial nature of their abilities in an entertaining manner, but these instances are infrequent and forgettable.

The most intriguing aspect that Eternals presents is the internal conflict among the team regarding their values — they often disagree on various issues, leading to their split. (This also ties into Eternals‘ significant twist, which I won’t reveal here.) This conflict is particularly illustrated through Druig, who asserts he could easily resolve all of humanity’s issues in the blink of an eye. However, the counterpoint suggests that humans must learn and grow. The burden of remaining passive with god-like abilities can be heavy on anyone. Eternals needed to delve deeper into these themes — but it lacks the means to do so. Instead, it inundates us with exposition, characters arguing, and minimal plot advancement or urgency.

With Eternals, the MCU’s deities take the spotlight. Yes, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has been a part of the universe since its inception, and we saw Ego (Kurt Russell) — a Celestial — make an appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. However, Marvel has never ventured into creating a mythos surrounding creation until now. The Disney+ series Loki briefly addressed the lack of free will within the MCU, and Eternals explores this concept further. Though the results are decidedly mixed. Eternals suggests that these ten figures have influenced human history. That’s acceptable. Yet, by attributing humanity’s worst tendencies and calculations to the Eternals, it diminishes the agency we have as humans. People are their own greatest adversaries — there’s no need for deities rolling dice regarding our conduct and destinies.

Regardless of who was enlisted for the project, Eternals was destined to be an ambitious endeavor. Despite its lengthy runtime, attempting to fit nearly a dozen characters and a sweeping story across epochs seems overly ambitious. Zhao acknowledged this reality: “It could be longer! You know, it’s ten characters, the Celestials, and 7,000 years. There’s a lot happening.” Oddly enough, however, Eternals comes off as thinly conceived for the majority of its 156 minutes, only to later plunge into the complexities. That misalignment derails the narrative. Zhao unfolds the tale of the Eternals against an elaborate backdrop, but that can be double-edged. We are granted a grand mythology regarding the (Marvel) universe’s creation, alongside the intricate backgrounds of its central immortal figures. However, we are never afforded the opportunity to truly comprehend them, care for them, or establish a connection.

Eternals is screening Friday, November 5 in theaters worldwide. In India, Eternals is showing in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada.