Marvel Studios’ 2021 film Eternals didn’t strike a chord with many superhero movie fans. While praised for its ambition, it quickly became the lowest-rated Marvel Cinematic Universe offering and the franchise’s first to be rated “rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes.
One of the movie’s stars, the Pakistani-American comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani – who played Kingo in the film – has recently revealed that the Eternals’ poor reception prompted him to seek therapy. That’s so sad to hear, as Nanjiani is a lovely man, and no performer should ever feel like that after giving a project their all – and Marvel Cinematic Universe fans, and Nanjiani’s fans, have jumped to both his and the movie’s defense in response.
However, to ensure it doesn’t happen again when Eternals 2 inevitably goes into production, Marvel Studios should make these five things happen.
More Familiar Characters
One of the main reasons Eternals failed to connect with movie audiences is that it didn’t have any well-known characters. The eponymous team has long been known to comic book enthusiasts, but they’re relatively obscure in mainstream terms. Having the sequel include more established MCU characters is an obvious way to help it attract fans of the broader franchise. For example, Thor, Captain Marvel, and the Guardians of the Galaxy share a cosmic nature with the Eternals and should be considered potential candidates for a role in their second film.
A More Recognizable Villain
The best Marvel Cinematic Universe villains are distinct and easily recognizable; most already have a place in mainstream popular culture. Eternals’ main villain was Kro, a member of the Deviant species who looked exactly like his fellow Deviants. The only difference between him and the others was that he’d absorbed more powers than them and was, therefore, more powerful.
He wasn’t easily distinguishable and, therefore, didn’t stand out and was easily forgettable. With poor villains being a significant target for criticism by MCU viewers, a more visually distinct antagonist that more casual moviegoers have heard of should be used in Eternals 2.
Links to the Wider MCU
In Eternals, it’s revealed that the eponymous group’s primary mission is to secretly pave the way for the Emergence, which renders their inactivity during the events of 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War somewhat confusing. Thanos’ plans would’ve set the Emergence back years, so why didn’t they intervene?
Regardless, now that the Emergence has been prevented, the Eternals are free to get involved in any issue they deem worthy – and that’s what should happen in Eternals 2. In addition to more references to the wider MCU, which will make the film feel more like an MCU installment, viewers should see the group interacting with more characters, concepts, and locations in the franchise.
Resolve Unresolved Issues
The climax of Eternals left viewers with more questions than answers, and the sequel should ensure all loose ends are resolved. The gigantic corpse of Tiamat can’t be ignored, left sticking out of the sea and into the upper atmosphere. Arishem should return to judge the Eternals, as he promised before the credits rolled. Given their role in the mid-credits scene, Starfox and Pip the Troll should feature. Dane Whitman should become the Black Knight, given his encounter with Blade and the Ebony Blade in the post-credits scene. Essentially, all unresolved issues should be resolved.
Include Characters in Other MCU Projects Beforehand
The biggest problem with Eternals was undoubtedly its characters not connecting with audiences. It wasn’t the actors’ fault – the all-star cast did a great job – but the fact that mainstream moviegoers weren’t familiar with the characters didn’t help. Therefore, to further familiarize viewers with the characters from the movie, they should sporadically appear in other MCU projects beforehand. Examples include Dane Whitman in 2025’s Blade and the Eternals in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. That way, fans will grow to love them and look forward to seeing them again, and hopefully flock to theaters worldwide to watch them in action.
