Four things you need to know before watching Marvel’s Eternals

Eternals drops in UK cinemas today, November 5, but before you take your seat here are five things that you should know about the new blockbuster.

The release of a new Marvel film always causes a frisson of excitement among the franchise’s vast fanbase, and it’s fair to say that the levels of anticipation are at fever pitch for the introduction of a large new cast of characters in The Eternals. If you want to get to grips with the new film before you book your ticket, just read our quick guide for five things you need to know about the 26th film in the MCU.

Who are the Eternals?

While everyone is aware of the likes of Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk, it’s fair to say that the wider world is not too familiar with the Eternals. So who – or what – are they?

In a nutshell, the Eternals are a race of immortal godlike beings, each with unique superhuman powers, who were sent to Earth by the cosmic Celestials for the express purpose of protecting humanity from a dangerous extraterrestrial life form, the Deviants. Before coming to our planet, they lived on Titan —  yes, the home planet of none other than Thanos himself.

Who is the director?

One of the most exciting aspects of the movie is that, for the first time in Marvel history, it was directed by an Oscar-winning filmmaker. Chloe Zhao triumphed at last year’s ceremony, winning both Best Director and Best Picture for the indie drama Nomadland. Helming a superhero project will be a very different challenge, but let’s hope to see her unique artistic sensibility preserved despite the massive scale of this new effort.

Naturally the director isn’t the only star of this film; the cast list is truly astonishing, boasting the likes of Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington, Richard Madden, and Gemma Chan.

How does it fit into the Marvel chronology?

As you might have guessed, given the nature of these new characters, the scope of this film is arguably the most ambitious yet for a Marvel movie, and takes in a vast sweep of human history.

Therefore, there are events in the film that take place both before (long before) and after the fateful events of Avengers: Endgame.

Is there a post-credits scene?

One of the regular treats of Marvel movies, as reliably ever-present as the gun barrel motif in James Bond films, is the post-credit scene that drops a tantalising teaser for the next entry in the series.

We can confirm that this time round there’s not just one, but two post-credit scenes and trust us when we say you really, really won’t want to miss them. So stay in your seat right until the end for that tidbit of extra insight into the franchise’s next direction.