Marvel is back on top of the box office, thanks to the brilliant success of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and several highly anticipated upcoming films including Spider-Man: No Way Home and Eternals. Marvel Studios is eagerly promoting the theatrical release of Eternals, which will hit theaters this winter, via a set of promotional photos shared in a recent issue of Total Film.
Fans are counting down the days to Eternals‘ late 2021 release, particularly after Disney approved the film for a 45-day “window of exclusivity” for theaters, according to ComicBook.com. The film is currently the most anticipated movie of the fall, according to the publication, beating out a number of high-profile films like Dune, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and the latest Bond flick, No Time To Die. The recently released photos, one of which graced the cover of Total Film, are only adding to the hype.
Eternals will follow a team of lesser-known Marvel heroes. The film will center around a group of humanoid beings of near-godlike power who’ve been living in secret among humans for thousands of years. They have ties to overpowered Marvel villains like Thanos and their introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe hints toward a new direction by the studio. With heroes like the Eternals joining the already powerful beings protecting Earth, future MCU releases are all but guaranteed to take a far more galactic approach to storytelling.
Eternals, directed by Chloe Zhao, will reportedly take place “right around the same time as Spider-Man: Far From Home, with the world recovering from the attack of Thanos and the return of half the population,” according to the film’s producer, Nate Moore.
Trailers for Eternals indicate that the film will see the introduction of the Deviants, a high-powered ancient enemy of mankind. Creatures that are generally portrayed as the opposite of the Eternals, the Deviants—also known as the Changing People—will be some of the most powerful enemies any of Earth’s heroes have encountered thus far in the MCU.
The film has a stellar cast jam-packed with star power. The cast includes well-known names like Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, and Salma Hayek alongside stars Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Lia McHugh, Don Lee, Gemma Chan, and Barry Keoghan. Two former Game of Thrones stars will also see their MCU introductions, with Richard Madden—who played Robb Stark—in a starring role as Ikaris, and Kit Harrington—who played Jon Snow—in a side role as the Black Knight, aka Dane Whitman.
Eternals is scheduled to hit theaters on Nov. 5.
