The first official trailer for Marvel’s Eternals has finally arrived, giving us a look at the newest heroes to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Helmed by Oscar winning director Chloé Zhao, the film will introduce us to the ancient and powerful beings, portrayed by an all-star cast which includes Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan and many more.
Watch the trailer here:
We break down the teaser shot by shot to see what exactly the MCU has in store for us when Eternals hits cinemas later this year.
Arrival
Marvel Studios
Right from the off the trailer gives us a glimpse at the stunning landscapes and cinematography we will see in Eternals as this is a Zhao film of course!
Opening on what appears to be Earth many thousands of years ago (maybe an ancient civilisation like Babylon), a gorgeous spaceship arrives stunning the fishermen and farmers.
It seems the Eternals have arrived…
Sersi And Ikaris
Marvel Studios
The first characters we meet are Sersi and Ikaris, played by Gemma Chan and Richard Madden, who gaze at the land.
Sersi remarks that “it’s beautiful”, which helps set up her character as in the comics she’s an enchantress who willingly lives on Earth due to her love of mankind.
Ikaris meanwhile also spends time on Earth in the comics, going undercover using the name Ike Harris.
Eternals… Assemble
Marvel Studios
Before the Marvel Studios logo appears we get to meet other Eternals including Angelina Jolie’s Thena, Salma Hayek’s Ajak, Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos and Lia McHugh’s Sprite.
Each one is dressed in a gorgeously ornate outfit, and we also see Phastos seemingly manipulating cosmic energy, which is one of his powers in the comics.
He’s also an engineer, so perhaps he is making something here…
Watchers
Marvel Studios
A voiceover tells us that the Eternals have been on Earth watching over humans for what seems to be thousands of years, guiding them and helping mankind progress.
We see Sersi interacting with people, an Eternal use their powers to help manipulate water, and a golden weapon be handed to a human too.
Thena In Action
Marvel Studios
The trailer then delivers a quick glimpse at Jolie’s Thena looking fierce showing off her combat skills.
The daughter of Zuras (the leader of the first generation of Eternals), warrior Thena was born in Olympia and is also known in the comics as ‘The Defender’.
Wonder
Marvel Studios
Remember earlier we said we think the Eternals are at Babylon, well we now see them at the gates of Babylon as the voiceover tells us they have overseen mankind “accomplish wonders”.
Now there are two things to note here. Firstly, the Eternals are standing outside Babylon all suited up indicating that maybe they have revealed themselves to the people.
And secondly, Babylon plays an important role in the comics as that is where Thena began her controversial romance with Deviant warlord Kro, whilst the Eternal Gilgamesh (played by Ma Dong-seok) also has a link to the location as his name comes from an ancient Babylonian poem.
Collectors
Marvel Studios
The Eternals seem to be quite the hoarders, as a shot sees Lauren Ridloff’s Makkari surrounded by a collection of items taken from Earth.
It appears that over the years they have been filling their spaceship up with things such as a knight’s armour, stacks of books, ornaments and other bits and bobs from Earth – they are clearly quite attached to the planet.
Never Interfered, Until Now…
Marvel Studios
Another montage takes us through time, including present day as Sersi stands on a modern street.
We get to see more of Sprite, Ajak and we also meet Barry Keoghan’s Druig, the aloof loner of the group.
What’s important here is that the voiceover says that the Eternals have “never interfered until now”, leaving us wondering what threat is Earth facing, as it must be one dangerous enough to cause them to take action?
Time To Suit Up
Marvel Studios
The trailer then cuts to shots of what appears to be the Eternals getting ready for action, suiting up with Thena wielding her stunning sword.
They could perhaps be uniting their minds into one single consciousness in the above shot, a ritual known as the ‘Uni-Mind’ in the comics which combines their powers.
A Romance
Marvel Studios
With the film being billed as the first MCU romance, it only seems right we are treated to some shots of Sersi and Ikaris in love, with the trailer delivering just that.
It may be a doomed relationship though as in the comics Sersi also dates Dane Whitman a.k.a. Black Knight, who is played by Kit Harington in the movie.
Time To Dance
Marvel Studios
It looks like we will get a dance sequence in the film as we get a glimpse at one in the trailer, with Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo taking centre stage of course.
In the comics he became a famous Japanese action star, however in the film he is a Bollywood celebrity, as indicated in this segment of the tease.
Volcanic Action
Marvel Studios
A rather dramatic shot of a volcano erupting could be part of the trouble that the Eternals are facing, which may have links to Atlantis.
In the comics the war between the Eternals and the Deviants reached a head at Lemuria, a land ruled by the Atlanteans. The King Of Atlantis then used magma as a weapon against the Deviants, triggering a devastating earthquake.
Are we getting a glimpse at this here? It’s also worth noting during Avengers: Endgame there was also mention of a potential earthquake…
Black Knight
Marvel Studios
Remember earlier we mentioned Dane, well here he is standing with Sersi who both look very concerned about the ominous storm that is brewing in the sky.
Whilst not an Eternal, physicist Dane plays a large role in the comics taking over the mantle of the Black Knight from his uncle, without the knowledge that the original Black Knight was known to be a supervillain.
Although he doesn’t possess any superpowers, he is quite skilled with a sword.
That storm meanwhile could indicate the arrival of the Celestials on Earth, which isn’t a good sign given they normally arrive to pass their judgement on humans and cause trouble.
Remember Ego from Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2? He was a Celestial and that didn’t end well…
The Final Shot
Marvel Studios
Of course there has to be an epic final shot before the title card rolls, and the trailer delivers just that as we see all of the Eternals assembled.
What a moment!
Comic Relief
Marvel Studios
Marvel like to end with a small comedic moment with their trailers, just to add some levity to it.
However, whilst the group’s reaction to Ikaris suggesting he could now lead the Avengers is funny, this scene is quite important too.
It tells us that not only are the Eternals very aware of what is going on with Earth’s mightiest heroes, but that at least a part of the film takes place after Avengers: Endgame, as they mention that Iron Man and Steve Rogers are now both gone.
Eternals is scheduled to be released in cinemas 5th November 2021.
