We may earn a commission when you buy through links in our articles. Learn more.

Marvel’s Eternals called “spectacularly weird” and “epic” in first reactions

Marvel's Eternals had it's premiere last night and the reactions are in, it's a hit

Marvel's Eternals is "spectacularly weird" say critics - The Eternals
Tom Percival's Avatar

Published:

Marvel Cinematic Universe 

Eternals, the next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, had its LA premiere, and inevitably the critics are circling like vultures. Friendly vultures though because, for the most part, critics enjoyed director Chloé Zhao’s first foray into action movies calling it “epic” and “amazing”.

Fandango’s Erik Davies had perhaps the best reaction to the science fiction movie calling it  “spectacularly weird and rich”.  “Marvel’s Eternals is spectacularly weird & rich with a new MCU mythology that makes it feel separate from everything else,” he tweeted. “It’s honestly refreshing. There’s a bittersweetness to the film that you feel in its sunset shots – a definite Chloé Zhao touch. It is soulful & thoughtful.”

Other critics were similarly positive. LA film critic Courtney Howard described the film as an “evocative, emotional, extraordinarily epic superhero film”. Meanwhile, Screenrant’s Ash Crossan was delighted by how “surprisingly funny” the movie was, adding: “[The Eternals] felt quite different than where we’ve been — almost forgot we were in the MCU at times.” It’s worth pointing out that first reactions are usually full of praise (even David Ayer’s Suicide Squad got rave reviews at first) so take these reactions with a small pinch of salt.

Check out a selection of reactions below.

Not everyone loved the movie, though. Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture expressed his disappointment with the film. “Aside from a few dazzling moments & a wonderfully diverse cast, Eternals disappointed me,” he tweeted. “The story is an expository convoluted mess as it jumps through time & multiple continents with an uneven tone. Ramin Djawadi’s score soars, but Chloé Zhao’s distinctive style is sadly absent.”

IndieWire’s chief film critic, David Ehrlich, was similarly disappointed with Eternals sharing on social media that despite the movie feeling like the least MCU movie so far, it still boils down to “misfit spandex people fighting bad CG for 3 hours”. Why do we get the feeling Ehrlich’s not an MCU fan?

Boasting an all-star cast, the Eternals tells the story of a group of heroes who were tasked by the godlike Celestials with observing humanity’s development and protecting us from the Deviants, a group of evil aliens hell-bent on our destruction.

Eternals is part of Marvel’s Phase 4, along with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Black Panther 2, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The Eternals fly into cinemas on November 5.

After graduating with an MA in journalism from the University of Salford, Tom set out to make a career for himself in the heady world of entertainment journalism. After spending six years working at UNILAD (and moonlighting at the BBC) where he interviewed the likes of Hugh Grant, Hugh Jackman, and Hugh Bonneville (plus other people not called Hugh) he left to find his fortune as editor at The Digital Fix where he spends his days trying to guess if the MCU's Doctor Doom will be in Avengers Secret Wars, thinking about Spider-Man, and watching Game of Thrones in a desperate attempt to untangle the Targaryen family tree.