It’s fair to say that the debut of the Eternals in the MCU got something of a mixed response in 2021. Chloe Zhao’s more meditative take on the superhero blockbuster got some sniffy reviews, but we had a lot of time for its unique approach to the Marvel world. With that in mind, we’re hoping the Eternals 2 release date comes around very soon indeed.
The first movie introduced MCU fans to an ensemble of immortal MCU characters, who have been on Earth for millennia, staying out of all of the alien carnage. Maybe they could help us to update our Marvel movies in order guide? They’ve pledged to go only get involved when the Deviants show up, leaving the other Marvel villains to it. So when will they show up next? Here’s what we know about their future.
Eternals 2 release date speculation
Eternals 2 won’t be with us until 2026 at the earliest, though it’s more likely to come along after the sixth Avengers film in 2027.
Eternals 2 isn’t even on the official list of upcoming Marvel movies at the moment, with no plans afoot to make another film with these characters. Eternals was one of the worst box office performers in Marvel history, earning just over $400m worldwide. And, as we mentioned, the reviews weren’t great. In our own Eternals review, we gave it three stars as an “ambitious and fresh” addition to the Marvel world.
Several members of the cast, such as Kumail Nanjiani, Barry Keoghan, and Kit Harington, have all said they’d happily return, but they’re not heard what Marvel’s plans are. Producer Nate Moore told The Toronto Sun in 2021 that an Eternals sequel isn’t a “must have” for the studio at present.
That has seemingly been confirmed by the deafening silence from Marvel about the characters. Patton Oswalt, who appeared alongside Harry Styles in the Eternals post-credits scene, said in 2022 that Zhao was coming back for a sequel, but later admitted he had been misled and that there were no firm future plans.
Eternals 2 cast speculation
If Eternals 2 does happen, we expect key players like Gemma Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, and Barry Keoghan to appear, as well as Harry Styles as Thanos’s brother Eros.
Besides them, who knows? Maybe Star-Lord from the Guardians of the Galaxy will show up, or Chris Hemsworth’s Thor could find them. It all depends on what happens in Marvel’s Phase 5 and Marvel Phase 6, and that leaves the Eternals 2 cast wide open.
Our predicted Eternals 2 cast list:
- Gemma Chan as Sersi
- Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo
- Barry Keoghan as Druig
- Bryan Tyree Henry as Phastos
- Angelina Jolie as Thena
- Lauren Ridloff as Makkari
- Harry Styles as Eros
- Patton Oswalt as Pip
- Kit Harington as Dane Whitman
Will Ikaris return in Eternals 2?
Ikaris flew into the sun during the Eternals ending, so we believe he’s dead. Of course, that’s no guarantee of anything in the comic book world.
Anyone who’s ever picked up a comic book will know that, unless there’s a body, no one’s ever really dead. We think Ikaris may return in a future Eternals movie, to redeem himself after siding with the Celestials in the first film.
Intriguingly, in November 2023, Marvel scooper Daniel Richtman (via ComicBookMovie) suggested that Eternals 2 is in active development, with Madden due to return as Ikaris. Take that with a pinch of salt for now, but it sounds like there might finally be some forward momentum.
Ikaris was one of the most fascinating characters in Eternals and so, if they can find a food way to bring him back, we’d love to see him link up with the characters he betrayed. He’d have a lot of explaining to do if he wanted to rejoin the team, but he could still return as a villain.
What is Eternals 2 about?
The Eternals 2 plot would likely remain on the cosmic side of the universe. This means more Celestials and possibly more Deviants.
Thor: Love and Thunder gave us Eternity, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 includes Adam Warlock. If Eternals 2 happens, it should continue in this vain, perhaps bringing in the Living Tribunal.
In terms of characters, Sersi, Pastos, and Kingo were all taken by Arishem at the end of Eternals, leaving their fate unknown. Makkari, Thena, and Druig all met Eros and Pip aboard their ship, setting up the main heroes for the next installment. There are a lot of pieces on the board and, if we do see these characters again, we could go in any number of directions.
Of course, one of those potential directions involves Kit Harington as Dane Whitman. We saw him preparing to wield the Ebony Blade in the Eternals post-credits scene, presumably becoming the Black Knight in the process. He was, however, interrupted by a voice which we now know was Mahershala Ali as Blade. So perhaps the MCU Blade release date will give us a clue to when the Eternals will return?
Marvel has, of course, given us many of the best superhero movies ever made and we have to keep the faith. Eternals might not have soared as high as we all hoped, but these characters deserve another chance in the spotlight. Their potential is theoretically endless.
Is there an Eternals 2 trailer?
Eternals 2 doesn’t have a trailer yet and, until the movie is officially announced, there’s no chance that we’ll get a look at it.
In the meantime, let’s have a look back at the scene from the original that nobody can doubt. We all want to see Kumail Nanjiani going full Bollywood again, don’t we? Of course we do.
How can I watch Eternals 2?
You’ll be able to see Eternals 2, should it happen, in cinemas first before it moves to Disney Plus.
This has become the well-established route for Disney’s blockbusters, and we expect it to hold for a long time to come. In the meantime, there’s a new Marvel series right now, with the Loki season 2 finale among the most exciting new on Disney Plus additions in 2023.
Rest assured, we’ll keep you updated as and when there’s movement on any of this. In the meantime, peruse our list of the new movies we can’t wait for, including new MCU outings like Deadpool 3 and the Captain America 4 release date.
For more from Marvel, find out why Captain Marvel is now a Disney princess and learn why we think Loki season 2 made Marvel’s Kang problem even worse. Finally, read about one of the best movies in the recent MCU by checking out our The Marvels review.