Marvel’s Eternals: Release date, cast, plot and leaks

Marvel’s Eternals is set to be the “most sci-fi” movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and will bring a new team of superheroes to the big screen. Here’s everything we know about it so far.

Directed by Chloé Zhao, the movie tells the story of the powerful, almost-immortal titular celestial beings who have existed for thousands of years. With a star-studded cast and a cosmic story that has endless potential, it’s arguably the most exciting addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in years.

We’ve scoured the universe to find every bit of information we can find on Eternals, including its expected release date, leaks about the movie’s villain Kro and, of course, that exciting cast lineup.

Eternals release date: When is it out?

Like the majority of upcoming movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Eternals has faced delays due to the ongoing global health crisis. It was supposed to be released in cinemas on November 6, 2020, but was pushed back – first to February 12, 2021, and then once again to November 5, 2021.

Interestingly, the reshuffle means that Eternals will now be the third movie to release from Phase 4 of the MCU. It was originally intended to be the second, but the new date means it will fall in between Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (July 9, 2021) and Spider-Man 3 (December 17, 2021).

Eternals cast: Who will star in it?

As we said before, Eternals has a thoroughly star-studded cast, one that could even rival the early Avengers movies. Some of the characters have been gender-swapped to fit the casting, likely in an attempt to bring more diversity to the superhero lineup.

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The cast so far includes Richard Madden (Ikaris), Salma Hayek (Ajak), Angelina Jolie (Thena), Dong-seok Ma (Gilgamesh), Lauren Ridloff (Makkari), Kumail Nanjiana (Kingo), Lia McHugh (Sprite), Brian Tyree Henry (Phastos) Gemma Chan (Sersi), Barry Keoghan (Druig), and Kit Harington (Black Knight).

Nanjiana praised the representation included in the lineup, telling EW: “We all look so different. You don’t ever get to see people like this together in the same room, let alone in awesome superhero costumes.”

We’re still waiting for cast details on the Deviants, who will face off against the movie’s heroes.

Eternals plot: What will happen?

The official synopsis for Eternals teases that the titular superheroes are a team of “ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years”. An unexpected tragedy following the events of Avengers: Endgame brings them out of the shadows to unite against the Deviants.

Who are the Deviants? Well, they were also created by the Celestials, but they act as a dark version of the Eternals. The two groups have fought many times in the Marvel Comics. It’s believed that the movie’s primary villain is Kro, who serves as the leader of the Deviants.

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A piece of concept art released by Marvel in January 2020 shows a towering celestial peering down at a planet. What role they’ll play remains to be seen, but it’s done the job of getting fans excited.

Meanwhile, star Nanjiana has teased that this will be as much a sci-fi movie as a superhero movie.

“It’s a superhero story, but in some ways, it’s the most sci-fi of all the Marvel movies and it’s the most epic of all the Marvel movies,” he said. “And the story spans thousands of years. So it’s really not like any of the other Marvel movies.”

Eternals trailer: Is there any footage?

There’s no footage yet, and with just under a year until it hits cinemas we wouldn’t expect an official trailer anytime soon. Fans are hoping to get some footage alongside Black Widow, or maybe even Disney+ series WandaVision.

There have been some intriguing leaks, though. As a result of the delays, several pieces of promotional artwork have hit the internet early, many of which show off the superhero team in their outfits.

A Marvel Legends figure has also leaked ahead of the movie’s release. It gives us our first look at villain Kro, and he appears very different from his portrayal in the comics.

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In the box art, he’s a grey skeletal figure with what looks like sharp tentacles. In the comics, he’s much more human-like, albeit with bright pink skin. The description on the box also refers to him as “the harbinger for a global threat”.

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You can find out more about Eternals and other upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies like Black Widow and Doctor Strange 2 in our complete Phase 4 release schedule roundup, right here.