Eternals was a movie released as a part of Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It introduced a brand new team of characters fans have yet to meet in the franchise, as well as expanded the world of the MCU itself. It performed rather low compared to other films in the series, and it was panned by both critics and audiences alike. Some have said that the plot confused them while others said it was too long (despite it not being the longest movie in the MCU). However, it’s really not bad; it’s just different from what fans saw from the franchise before.

The story of the movie is genuinely really intriguing, as it makes it feel like there’s more of a mythology to the MCU that came before Captain America or even Captain Marvel were ever around. It’s also not difficult to follow as some have claimed. Again, it’s just different. It uses a different storytelling formula than other MCU movies.

The characters are all legitimately interesting. Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo is a super-being turned Hollywood actor and is wildly entertaining. Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos has an intellect that allows him to invent high-tech weaponry, and is also the first openly gay hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Lia McHugh’s Sprite is trapped in the form of a small child despite being thousands of years old, in which seeing her struggles with this is both fascinating and emotional. Seeing everyone’s backstories and what they’ve been doing in the present day adds a lot of layers to the characters and the overall storytelling.

The action feels especially grand throughout, especially toward the end. The effects are well-done and have a unique look to them compared to other Marvel movies. They make this one of the most visually stunning films in the franchise. The monsters they fight against are really cool, but what really escalates it all is the conflict between those on the same team. It adds more of a sense of drama and emotion to the story. Both the physical and emotional stakes feel high.

It’s all driven by the characters’ relationships. Some are bitter toward each other while others have an incredible bond. Despite them being otherworldly beings, they all feel human.

Is it the best movie in the MCU? No; it does suffer from too many characters fighting for screen time. It’s still an entertaining watch that stands out from other MCU entries, though.

What makes it so different from the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that it’s more of a grand-scale fantasy epic than the usual action-comedy outing. It’s also, for the most part, a bit more serious than most of the franchise. This is likely not what a lot of MCU fans are looking for, which could be a big reason as to why it wasn’t well-received, but that doesn’t actually make it a bad movie by any means.

Marvel’s Eternals deserves a second chance. It deserves having people go back and give it another watch. It deserves a sequel to improve upon areas that MCU fans didn’t like. Hopefully we haven’t seen the last of this fantastic team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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