MCU Phase 4 is really ready to go all out with their characters this time. With a bunch of movies and series, it will be really exciting to see Marvel transition into this phase. Be it on the big screen or the small screen, the expansion is going at an outstanding rate. Over the next few years, viewers will be introduced to a range of new superheroes including the likes of Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, Shang-Chi, and the Black Knight. But with all this, what the fans are really excited about is the Eternals, who have been living on Earth guiding human development for millennia. Created by the legendary Jack Kirby, the Eternals have always been something of an uncomfortable fit in the comics, so their introduction in the MCU is rather surprising.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Eternals was pushed back to November 2021 as a result of changes to Marvel’s slate. One batch of Eternals merchandise revealed new characters, power, and story details. Unfortunately, these delays mean fans are getting introduced to the Eternals in a far less controlled manner than Marvel would no doubt prefer because tie-in merchandise is beginning to leak. It also hinted at a possible link between the Eternals and some other major Marvel characters, notably the Fantastic Four, the Silver Surfer, and even Galactus.
Each member of the Eternals possesses a radically different powerset, but several suggest they are imbued with “cosmic energy.“
Ikaris is said to “project beams of intense cosmic energy from his eyes,”
Makkari possesses “cosmically powered super-speed,” and
Druig can “use cosmic energy to control the minds of men.”
Most intriguing are descriptions of Gilgamesh, who uses cosmic energy to form “a powerful exoskeleton of cosmic energy,” and
Thena, who can “use cosmic energy to form any handheld weapon she can think of.”
This mysterious cosmic energy seems to be the source of every Eternal’s power – and it has a clear precedent in the comics, where the Fantastic Four gained their own abilities after being bombarded by cosmic rays. And of course, we know that Jon Watts is directing the new Fantastic Four movie, so it looks like a clear setup.
But, the mention of this cosmic energy is not just for the Fantastic Four. The mysterious energy strongly associated with the Fantastic Four villain Galactus. Known as the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus typically imbues beings with the Power Cosmic to serve as his Heralds. These Heralds – who notably include the likes of the Silver Surfer, Terrax, and Firelord – possess powers as varied as those shown by the Eternals. Examples have, however, included the projection of cosmic beams, mind control, the formation of exoskeletons, super-speed, and even matter readjustment. All these correspond with the powers attributed to the Eternals.
Eternals is going to be a massive project and fans are really excited for it, and it also puts the stepping stone for the Fantastic Four and potentially bearers of the Power Cosmic such as Galactus, the Silver Surfer, and other Heralds.
This doesn’t necessarily mean the film will introduce any of those characters, but rather that it seems to set up the energy that makes them possible in the first place.
