Eternals: Marvel Fans Slam Superheroes Who Didn’t Help the Avengers Fight Thanos

“Throughout the years we have never interfered, until now.” So says Ajak (Salma Hayek) in the first teaser trailer for Marvel’s Eternals, about a race of human-looking ancient aliens who have been secretly living on Earth for thousands of years. After the events of Avengers: Endgame, where Captain America (Chris Evans) assembles almost all of Earth’s mightiest heroes before Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) sacrifices himself to save the universe, Eternals is set in the wake of an “unexpected tragedy” that forces these secret superheroes — including Sersi (Gemma Chan) and Ikaris (Richard Madden) — out of the shadows for the first time in their history.

It’s old-soul Sprite (Lia McHugh) who asks the gathered Eternals, “Now that Captain Rogers and Iron Man are both gone, who do you think’s gonna lead the Avengers?” This post-Endgame reference has fans questioning why the Eternals didn’t reveal themselves in the fight against Thanos (Josh Brolin), who invaded Earth to collect the last of the six Infinity Stones before snapping away half of all life in the universe in Avengers: Infinity War.

Stonekeeper Red Skull (Ross Marquand) identifies Thanos as the son of A’Lars and Sui-San — who in the Marvel comic books are Eternals — a relation that makes Thanos the cousin of Thena (played in Eternals by Marvel Cinematic Universe newcomer Angelina Jolie). Marvel’s viral marketing for Eternals confirmed the Mad Titan’s connection to these ancient aliens:

“Thanos’ origin is said to be on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, making him a Titanian in nature. It is rumored however that Thanos is the last of an ancient and highly sophisticated species known throughout the universe as ‘The Eternals.’”

The synopsis for Eternals reveals “an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, The Deviants,” a.k.a. the mortal foes of the Eternals, hinting the Deviants are the reason these shadowy superheroes have only “watched and guided” humanity until now.

Marvel Studios president and producer Kevin Feige previously revealed that the Deviants in Eternals “will look unlike any Deviants you’ve seen in the comics,” adding the film introduces a “new form” of the mutated subhuman species. Here’s what Marvel fans have to say about the Eternals sitting out the fight against one of their own in Infinity War and Endgame:

Avengers Assemble

Avengers: Infinite Wars

The Eternals’ Problem

Never Interfered

Looking Strong, Avengers!

Eternals: Endgame

Marvel Studios releases Eternals in theaters on November 5.