Highlights
- The Eternals differ from other superteams, like the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, because they can pool their energy through the Uni-Mind, which amplifies their powers.
- The combination ability of the Eternals is central to the plot resolution of the film and stands as the biggest draw for the movie amidst mixed reviews.
- While the film may not have worked out as expected, the characters introduced in Eternals can still play a part in the future of the MCU, showcasing their unique differences and abilities.
Eternals co-producer Nate Moore reveals how the titular team differs from the Avengers. This observation comes by way of a new resource available for the film.
Eternals was based on the long-lived race of aliens of the same name appearing in Marvel Comics and followed a group of the eponymous immortals sent to Earth by a higher power known as a Celestial to hunt down creatures known as Deviants and prevent any harm they might bring to the planet, before acclimating and being forced into difficult choices when it is revealed that there is more at play than they first realized. Due to the ensemble cast and gravity of the source material drawn upon for the project, many thought that Eternals would be Marvel's most groundbreaking movie yet.
Instead of meeting these expectations, Eternals netted the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in the MCU at the time, partly due to the film not following the tried and true MCU formula. However, the characters have a unique leg up above the rest in terms of working as a team that those behind the scenes at Marvel Studios appreciate. In Marvel Studios Eternals: The Art of the Movie, Marvel Studios executive and Eternals co-producer Nate Moore revealed what set the Eternals aside from the other superteams in the franchise. “What makes the Eternals different to other groups in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - including the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy - is they can pool their energy," the producer explained.
"The Uni-Mind allows the Eternals to amplify the power of any single Eternal. However, they all must be somewhat connected to do so,” Moore continued. “They can't be on opposite sides of the world and create a Uni-Mind - they must be in proximity of each other. But it could allow Makkari to run faster than ever. It could let Druig control every mind on a planet. It is an amplification device but requires the power of all the Eternals together." The combination ability, central to the film's plot resolution, also highlights the star-studded main cast that shone on the Eternals worldwide premiere’s red carpet and stands as the biggest draw for the film amongst a sea of mixed reviews.
This uniqueness might have been lost on audiences due to the sheer scale of what Eternals attempted, as Moore eludes to going further. “The challenge with creating a new team is coming up with visuals that stand out against the previous successes, and making something that feels compelling and different but still part of the MCU… Those challenges are explicit and heightened in this project because of the size of the team and the fact that every character will be introduced in this film. We haven't tried that before in a similar way with so many characters - it was a big challenge." While it might not have worked out in this case, Eternals' big swing still feels better than Secret Invasion and other similarly grounded projects within the space.
While Eternals probably won’t have any sequels, the characters introduced in the film can and should play a part in the MCU's future. If they do, then the Uni-Mind and all the other differences that set them apart from the heroes that currently populate the mainline MCU story can come to the forefront.
Eternals is available for streaming on Disney Plus.
Source: Marvel Studios Eternals: The Art of the Movie (via The Direct)
