Before the end of the year, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be reconvening in Avengers: Doomsday, but when it does, it will be missing some notable allies. Joe and Anthony Russo’s return to Marvel Studios seven years after Avengers: Endgame comes with a lot of pressure. The directing duo is tasked with wrapping up the Multiverse Saga, which not only did they not have any involvement before Avengers: Doomsday, but is also less cohesive than the Infinity Saga. While plot specifics about the film are still scant at the moment, marketing has revealed some pertinent information about what to expect, including the returns of Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers and the MCU debut of Fox’s legacy X-Men characters.
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Avengers: Doomsday will see the heroes fight Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, but instead of being exclusive to heroes of Earth-616, the movie will also bring in allies from other realities. The Fantastic Four from Earth-828, as well as the previously-separated X-Men from Earth-10005. As exciting as it is to see them join the fight against the new villain, there’s one team that already exists in the main MCU that is noticeably absent from Avengers: Doomsday — the Eternals. Introduced in the early years of the Multiverse Zaga via Chloé Zhao’s Eternals, they are a group of near-immortal beings sent to Earth by the Celestials centuries ago to protect mankind from Deviants.
Marvel Studios assembled the most-stacked ensemble in a standalone film, with Angelina Jolie as Thena, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Don Lee as Gilgamesh, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Gemma Chan as Sersi, and Barry Keoghan as Druig. Each hero had apparently been on Earth for thousands of years, but had kept their involvement to a minimum, instead, living normal lives and blending in. Still, considering how powerful they are and the level of threat that is posed with the arrival of Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, it’s curious why they aren’t making themselves known to their fellow heroes.
Eternals Missing From Avengers: Doomsday Highlights The Film’s Failure To Resonate
Despite the star-studded cast of Eternals, not to mention the fact that it was directed by an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, it failed to resonate with audiences. It was the MCU’s first “Rotten” score on Rotten Tomatoes, and even with the star-power involved, the film’s box office was ultimately disappointing at just $402.1 million worldwide against a production cost of $272.6 million, which Marvel Studios said was over what its dedicated budget.
Because of the buzz that Eternals had leading to its release, not to mention the standard that the MCU had set at that point, there was a high expectation for the film, which, unfortunately, failed to deliver on. For what it’s worth, it wasn’t as bad as how some reviews would make it out to be. Eternals was still an acceptable superhero blockbuster. It had flaws, much like every project in the MCU, with some of its issues rooted in its crammed and convoluted story. That said, it was praised for its visuals and fight sequences. The cast chemistry was also great, which was a great start when debuting a team with several new characters. Ultimately, however, it collapsed under its own weight.
Since then, Marvel Studios has barely addressed the Eternals‘ existence, whether in front or behind the screen. Considering how much legwork that Russos have to do when setting up the story of Avengers: Doomsday, it makes sense from their perspective to keep the superhero team on the sidelines, despite how powerful they are.
Will The Eternals Ever Return To The MCU?
The ending and post-credits of Eternals certainly set up a sequel. Whether that is something that Marvel Studios is revisiting past the Multiverse Saga is uncertain at this point. While that remains a mystery, what the MCU can do is gradually reintroduce and incorporate the heroes into the franchise. Bringing them all back as a team will require a lot of planning and has a high chance of failure if it happens in a non-Eternals movie. That said, bringing back a few members here and there can help in making them relevant again, until they become mainstays in the MCU.
While there haven’t been any traces of the Eternals’ involvement in the fight against Doctor Doom, there’s still a possibility that Marvel Studios is keeping a cameo or two from the team a secret as a surprise. Maybe the Avengers: Doomsday trailer can hint at that. This could lead to a bigger role in Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. Regardless, it’s a massive missed opportunity for the franchise not to revisit these characters again. Hopefully, they are able to find a way to bring them back so their story can continue beyond their origin film.
Avengers: Doomsday will hit cinemas on December 18, 2026.
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