As of Eternals (2021) Arishem the Judge is scanning the memories of Sersi, Phastos and Kingo to determine whether humanity is worth keeping around. There has been widespread support for replacing Kang the Conqueror in the MCU among fans. Arishem, due to his position as Prime Celestial, might be the perfect replacement for the MCU’s next big villain.
As the Prime Celestial, Arishem is said to have created the first sun and is said to have existed before the six singularities that formed the Infinity Stones. It stands to reason that Arishem, and all Celestials, exert some control over the multiverse, and given the power that has been displayed, it is very possible that they could be the next big threat to the MCU.
Arishem and the Celestials could make Battleworld instead of Kang
To judge humanity on its merits, Arishem could bring in humans from multiple realities to see how they function together. Battlworld in the MCU could be a test for humanity, to see how they react to different situations and how they figure out solutions. Failing the test would involve engaging in an all-out war while collaborating to come to a solution, which might prove to Arishem that humanity (and assorted species that would also be on Battlworld) is worth saving.
Here, Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Inhumans, all could share Battlworld, pitted against one another by an entity that cannot see the merit in Arishem’s design. Perhaps, a character like Kang sees it as a challenge, a competition for the last universe standing, while Loki could be the antithesis of Kang, encouraging collaboration to defeat Kang, but not kill him, hence passing Arishem’s test.
Also Read: All The Gods Teased In The MCU So Far
Arishem could be inspired by Loki to change his views on expanding the Universe
The current MO of the Celestials seems to be very similar to the TVA under Kang. However, if Loki features in Battlworld in any capacity, the Celestials, Arishem in particular, might find themselves redesigning their plan for the universe. This could see the Eternals either become independent of the Celestials, blossoming into their civilization, or becoming a cosmic peacekeeping force that is maintained by the Celestials.
Arishem could see how Loki is maintaining the timelines, and device a novel way for Celestials to be born. This could also have its fair share of repercussions. For example, perhaps a Celestial rebels, and sticks to eating planets to nourish himself. Sound familiar?
With Arishem creating a universe that looks after itself naturally, the Celestials could also find themselves preoccupied with making new and more sophisticated lifeforms. While Mutants, Inhumans, Humans, and Mutates could start existing together, the Celestials could be away tampering with other life forms, creating other races that could be instrumental in the MCU. Perhaps some comic-accurate Deviants?
