New ‘Eternals’ trailer answers some big questions about Marvel heroes

Eternals
(Image credit: Marvel)

We’re learning more and more about Eternals thanks to a new trailer. Marvel’s newest heroes are a group of immortal beings that arrived on Earth thousands of years ago. Many fans have wondered why the Eternals have been content to sit things out this long. We’ll have to wait until Nov. 5 to get all the answers, but the trailer helps give fans the big picture.

Eternals is being directed by the reigning Best Director Oscar winner Chloe Zhao, making her big budget film debut, and stars an all-star cast that includes Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harrington, Gemma Chan, Brian Tyree Henry, Barry Keoghan, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Don Lee and Lia McHugh.

The big question that many people had when hearing about the Eternals was why they chose to sit out the battle against Thanos? As the trailer explains, when they traveled to Earth they were told not to interfere in the conflicts of humans unless it had to deal with an enemy called deviants. However, it appears that the events of Avengers: Endgame did allow for the deviants to return, so now the Eternals must reunite after centuries apart to take on this ancient threat.

See what’s in store with Marvel’s latest movie in the official trailer below.

Now that Black Widow is out, phase four of the MCU on the big screen can begin in earnest, with new heroes and new adventures for some old friends. This includes Eternals, as well as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, hitting theaters on Sept. 3, and the latest Tom Holland Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Of course Marvel isn’t just limiting its story to movies anymore. Marvel’s Disney Plus series WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and, most notably, Loki have all got the ball rolling on characters and plot points, including the multiverse. It’s unclear if any of those events will have an impact on Eternals because the release schedule for all these projects got shifted around over the last year and a half.

Speaking of releases, Disney’s plans for Eternals release will be something to keep an eye on. As of right now, Eternals is set for an exclusive run in theaters starting Nov. 5. However, because of rising COVID cases due to the delta variant, some studios are either shifting release dates (Venom: Let There Be Carnage) or skipping theaters in favor of streaming (Hotel Transylvania 4). 

Disney saw success with its hybrid strategy for Black Widow, where it played both in theaters and was available on Disney Plus via Premiere Access. At the moment that is not in the cards for either Eternals or Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Though with a little less than three months to go before its release, the strategy could change for Eternals depending on how the health situation progresses.

Whatever happens, Eternals and other Marvel titles will find their way to Disney Plus for streaming. A Disney Plus subscription is priced at $7.99 per month ($79.99 for a year), or you can sign up for the Disney bundle, which includes Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus for a single monthly fee of $13.99.

Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.