MCU Phase 4 - SDCC 2019 Announcements (BLADE IN THE MCU!)
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A movie nah just a clip
Marvel’s ‘Eternals’ Explained: Who Are Angelina Jolie & Co. Playing, Anyway?
BY DAVE TRUMBORE JULY 23, 2019
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Back in 2013 and early 2014, lots of folks had reservations about just how successful James Gunn‘s Guardians of the Galaxy would be. The well-established MCU hadn’t tackled anything quite like the rag-tag team of space adventurers up until that point and they weren’t exactly household names among any but the diehard comics fans. That gamble worked out pretty well. After two films, with another one on the way, an animated series and a spinoff of shorts, video games, theme park attractions and more, the franchise is humming along fine on its own. And it has likely paved the way for the MCU’s next big gamble, Eternals.
Don’t feel too bad if you haven’t heard of this Marvel Comics’ title team that was originally introduced back in 1976, courtesy of the legendary Jack Kirby. The title centered on a fictional species of humans, an offshoot of Earth’s evolutionary process that was apparently kickstarted by aliens known as Celestials. The superpowered Eternals were intended to be immortal defenders of Earth, which led them into centuries of battle against the opposing force known as the Deviants. (Thanos was born to Eternals but had the Deviant gene, so if you’re familiar with him, you’re halfway to understanding the mythology already!) So who exactly are they and what can we expect from these relatively obscure characters? We’ve given you a primer below to tell you just that.
Directed by Chloé Zhao (The Rider) and starring Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Salma Hayek, and Brian Tyree Henry, Eternals is slated to hit theaters on November 6, 2020 as the second film in the MCU’s Phase Four. Be sure to get caught up on all things Eternals below, and read on for a character-by-character breakdown:
Angelina Jolie as Thena
Jolie is obviously the most recognizable name in this cast, and her character Thena might just be the most recognizable of the bunch. Most of that recognition comes from the similar-sounding “Athena”, which has probably confused as many people in the real world as it did in the ancient fictional world of Eternals. The title immortals have been around defending Earth for so long that they often are mistaken for, or actually represent, actual deities in the canon. Take, for example, the city of Athens being built in Thena’s name and not Athena’s.
Like all Eternals, Thena possesses superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes, with the addition of cool tricks like invulnerability and immortality through manipulation of cosmic energy, and projection of this energy as a weapon. She can also fly, rearrange the molecular structure of objects, cast illusions, and teleport (though most Eternals find this unpleasant). God-like, indeed. In addition to being an accomplished hand-to-hand fighter, Thena wields both a bow and an energy spear. She’s also a scholar, having studied under history’s most brilliant minds, both human and Eternal, over the centuries.
Image via Marvel Comics
As for her character’s history, she has quite the on-again/off-again romantic relationship with Kro, a supervillainous warlord who is the leader of the Deviant race. Though that character hasn’t been officially announced for the Eternals movie just yet, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pop up: His presence complicated Thena’s time as the Prime Eternal (the leader of the Earth’s Eternals) and even brought her into direct conflict with the team members themselves. She eventually relinquishes her title to Ikaris and is banished, but her adventures continued with enough drama for many more movies to come.
Richard Madden as Ikaris
Over 20,000 years old by the time we meet him, Ikaris is known for a couple of things in the fictionalized “real-world” mythology: Having guided an ark to safety during the “Great Cataclysm” (the sinking of Atlantis due to an attack by the undersea civilization of Deviants known as Lemuria), Ikaris was thought by the surviving humans to be the dove who led Noah to safety; and as the actual father of the ill-fated Icarus, whose name Ikaris takes in memory of his passing.
Ikaris boasts many of the same powers as Thena and the other Eternals, though he can out-fly most of them. He also has some very basic psychic abilities which he puts to use against minds that are weaker than his own and has a relatively low-level ability to mentally rearrange matter. Ikaris can, however, generate enough heat to melt or disintegrate solid objects through manipulation of cosmic energy. Overusing this power can temporarily sap him of his strength, so expect to see that plot point played up!
Image via Marvel Comics
As for his story, Ikaris is tasked with getting ready for the return of the Celestials (their creators, and basically the creators of sentient human life as we know it on Earth; you already know one Celestial: Knowhere, the severed head floating in space in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies!). They are on their way back to Earth for what’s known as the Fourth Host, to judge their creations and remove any Deviant footholds by any means necessary. (Past Hosts have included genetic meddling, worldwide floods, and defeats of rebel uprisings.) After too many battles to list here, Ikaris continues his role as leader of the Eternals but does so as an active and public protector of humanity (once even adopting an alias as a professional wrestler, Ike “Iceberg” Harris). But his major conflict is with fellow Eternal Thena; we’ll see how that plays out in the big-screen version of the story.
Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo
Kingo Sunen is a sort of Renaissance man, an accomplished swordsman who studied the ways of the samurai for years in Japan, only to employ them in the action movie business in the modern era.
Choosing to use an epic sword (which can cut through anything) forged by a fellow Eternal, Kingo rarely uses his superpowers though he still possesses them. He’s got a part to play in a long-running conflict with a Celestial known as Tiamut the Communicator, a.k.a. the Dreaming Celestial, so we’ll see if that factors into the script at all.
Image via Marvel Comics
Lauren Ridloff as Makkari
If Makkari sounds like Mercury to you, there’s a good reason for that! The character’s history includes a retcon that sees the 1940 introduction of Mercury in “Red Raven Comics #1” and the 1941 “Captain America Comics #1” introduction of Hurricane as two instances of the Eternal. Confused yet? It gets worse!
Originally (and often) a man throughout the series, Makkari was born in the Eternals capital of Olympia in ancient times. A skilled engineer and technologist, Makkari has long existed side by side with humans, studying with the likes of Plato, acting as a teacher to Ancient Egyptians, and even teaching Elvis some guitar licks. Makkari has also played a major role in combating Deviants, having formed the Monster Hunters team, and later survived the original Skrull invasion of Earth.
Image via Marvel Comics
Makkari has the same base Eternals powers but, in keeping with the name, also has tremendous running speed. Similar to The Flash, Makkari can create cyclones simply from running and can speed across water and up walls. However, doing so accumulates fatigue in Makkari’s body and makes them more susceptible to injury. This focus on speed borders on an obsession with Makkari, even at a cost of their other abilities.
In Eternals, Makkari will be a female character and, since Rifloff herself is deaf, the character will reflect that reality as well. Perhaps that will factor into Makkari coming into contact with the Dreaming Celestial, eventually becoming their prophet…
Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos
Often confused with the Greek god Hephaestus, Phastos is the main tech/equipment guy for the Eternals. Kingo’s sword, Ikaris’ flight suit, and more gear comes courtesy of Phastos; his own hammer also comes with matter-altering abilities that go above and beyond even those of the innate powers of the Eternals. Phastos has those powers as well but often chooses not to wield them, being happier in the “workshop” instead of the battlefield.
Image via Marvel Comics
Salma Hayek as Ajak
Another Polar Eternal like Ikaris, Ajak was traditionally a man who was well-versed in archaeology. In addition to fighting alongside other Eternals against Kro’s Deviants in Babylon millennia ago, Ajak also had a presence in Central America; this led to the Native Americans worshiping him as a flying god like Quetzacoatl or Tecumotzin. And despite playing a major diplomatic role between the Eternals and the Celestials during the Third Host, Ajak then put himself in a self-imposed “storage” state to await their return.
This Eternal is the only one capable of direct communication with the Celestials, but the rest of the power set is your pretty standard god-like fare. However, this is as good a time as any to mention the Uni-Mind, a ceremony that leads to the formation of a collective physical and mental being formed of the participating Eternals. The gigantic brain-like organism funnels the power and abilities of some hundreds of Eternals into one being, but often with devastating consequences to we puny humans. However, Celestials can still dismantle the Uni-Mind, and individual members, like Ajak, can opt out of the party.
Image via Marvel Comics
Lia McHugh as Sprite
Traditionally appearing as a young boy, Sprite is the “Loki” or “Puck” of the Eternals, a trickster and jokester whose childish behavior hasn’t changed a bit over the centuries. Despite the deadly nature of these pranks when it comes to the frail humans, and despite punishments handed out because of it, Sprite remains mischievous.
In Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr.‘s 2006 run on the series, Sprite is one of the Eternals who has amnesia regarding their past, powers, and abilities. And while it suffices to say that Sprite has a big part to play in all the Eternals regaining what they’ve lost, and in the communication with the Dreaming Celestial, we’ll stop before getting too spoilery. There’s no telling just which direction this script is going to go but Gaiman and Romita’s story would be a solid entrypoint into the franchise.
Image via Marvel Comics
Don Lee as Gilgamesh
Also known as Hero and The Forgotten One, Gilgamesh is basically your go-to iconic hero of myth and legend. Hercules, Samson, Beowulf, Atlas … all the same Eternal. But his dalliances in the human world earned him an exile from the then-Prime Eternal Zuras. It was Sprite who brought Gilgamesh back into the fold during the Fourth Host to help the other Eternals fight back against the Deviants.
Image via Marvel Comics
While Gilgamesh boasts the same abilities as the other Eternals, he’s the strongest of the lot (perhaps with the exception of Thanos). Gilgamesh has had numerous battles alongside the Avengers; somewhere in his adventures, he became blind and had to develop a sort of radar to compensate. That’s never quite been explained, and neither has his recovery.
Gilgamesh is often the subject of ridicule by comics fans and the character is overshadowed by pretty much every other Avenger ever; let’s hope The Forgotten One gets a time to shine in the new movie.
While these are the core characters and cast members of Eternals, there are still quite a few pieces of this puzzle to put together. Keeps your eyes peeled for more casting announcements that should help clarify the story in the months to come.
BY DAVE TRUMBORE JULY 23, 2019
SHARE TWEET
Back in 2013 and early 2014, lots of folks had reservations about just how successful James Gunn‘s Guardians of the Galaxy would be. The well-established MCU hadn’t tackled anything quite like the rag-tag team of space adventurers up until that point and they weren’t exactly household names among any but the diehard comics fans. That gamble worked out pretty well. After two films, with another one on the way, an animated series and a spinoff of shorts, video games, theme park attractions and more, the franchise is humming along fine on its own. And it has likely paved the way for the MCU’s next big gamble, Eternals.
Don’t feel too bad if you haven’t heard of this Marvel Comics’ title team that was originally introduced back in 1976, courtesy of the legendary Jack Kirby. The title centered on a fictional species of humans, an offshoot of Earth’s evolutionary process that was apparently kickstarted by aliens known as Celestials. The superpowered Eternals were intended to be immortal defenders of Earth, which led them into centuries of battle against the opposing force known as the Deviants. (Thanos was born to Eternals but had the Deviant gene, so if you’re familiar with him, you’re halfway to understanding the mythology already!) So who exactly are they and what can we expect from these relatively obscure characters? We’ve given you a primer below to tell you just that.
Directed by Chloé Zhao (The Rider) and starring Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Salma Hayek, and Brian Tyree Henry, Eternals is slated to hit theaters on November 6, 2020 as the second film in the MCU’s Phase Four. Be sure to get caught up on all things Eternals below, and read on for a character-by-character breakdown:Angelina Jolie as Thena
Jolie is obviously the most recognizable name in this cast, and her character Thena might just be the most recognizable of the bunch. Most of that recognition comes from the similar-sounding “Athena”, which has probably confused as many people in the real world as it did in the ancient fictional world of Eternals. The title immortals have been around defending Earth for so long that they often are mistaken for, or actually represent, actual deities in the canon. Take, for example, the city of Athens being built in Thena’s name and not Athena’s.
Like all Eternals, Thena possesses superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes, with the addition of cool tricks like invulnerability and immortality through manipulation of cosmic energy, and projection of this energy as a weapon. She can also fly, rearrange the molecular structure of objects, cast illusions, and teleport (though most Eternals find this unpleasant). God-like, indeed. In addition to being an accomplished hand-to-hand fighter, Thena wields both a bow and an energy spear. She’s also a scholar, having studied under history’s most brilliant minds, both human and Eternal, over the centuries.
Image via Marvel Comics
As for her character’s history, she has quite the on-again/off-again romantic relationship with Kro, a supervillainous warlord who is the leader of the Deviant race. Though that character hasn’t been officially announced for the Eternals movie just yet, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pop up: His presence complicated Thena’s time as the Prime Eternal (the leader of the Earth’s Eternals) and even brought her into direct conflict with the team members themselves. She eventually relinquishes her title to Ikaris and is banished, but her adventures continued with enough drama for many more movies to come.
Richard Madden as Ikaris
Over 20,000 years old by the time we meet him, Ikaris is known for a couple of things in the fictionalized “real-world” mythology: Having guided an ark to safety during the “Great Cataclysm” (the sinking of Atlantis due to an attack by the undersea civilization of Deviants known as Lemuria), Ikaris was thought by the surviving humans to be the dove who led Noah to safety; and as the actual father of the ill-fated Icarus, whose name Ikaris takes in memory of his passing.
Ikaris boasts many of the same powers as Thena and the other Eternals, though he can out-fly most of them. He also has some very basic psychic abilities which he puts to use against minds that are weaker than his own and has a relatively low-level ability to mentally rearrange matter. Ikaris can, however, generate enough heat to melt or disintegrate solid objects through manipulation of cosmic energy. Overusing this power can temporarily sap him of his strength, so expect to see that plot point played up!
Image via Marvel Comics
As for his story, Ikaris is tasked with getting ready for the return of the Celestials (their creators, and basically the creators of sentient human life as we know it on Earth; you already know one Celestial: Knowhere, the severed head floating in space in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies!). They are on their way back to Earth for what’s known as the Fourth Host, to judge their creations and remove any Deviant footholds by any means necessary. (Past Hosts have included genetic meddling, worldwide floods, and defeats of rebel uprisings.) After too many battles to list here, Ikaris continues his role as leader of the Eternals but does so as an active and public protector of humanity (once even adopting an alias as a professional wrestler, Ike “Iceberg” Harris). But his major conflict is with fellow Eternal Thena; we’ll see how that plays out in the big-screen version of the story.
Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo
Kingo Sunen is a sort of Renaissance man, an accomplished swordsman who studied the ways of the samurai for years in Japan, only to employ them in the action movie business in the modern era.
Choosing to use an epic sword (which can cut through anything) forged by a fellow Eternal, Kingo rarely uses his superpowers though he still possesses them. He’s got a part to play in a long-running conflict with a Celestial known as Tiamut the Communicator, a.k.a. the Dreaming Celestial, so we’ll see if that factors into the script at all.
Image via Marvel Comics
Lauren Ridloff as Makkari
If Makkari sounds like Mercury to you, there’s a good reason for that! The character’s history includes a retcon that sees the 1940 introduction of Mercury in “Red Raven Comics #1” and the 1941 “Captain America Comics #1” introduction of Hurricane as two instances of the Eternal. Confused yet? It gets worse!
Originally (and often) a man throughout the series, Makkari was born in the Eternals capital of Olympia in ancient times. A skilled engineer and technologist, Makkari has long existed side by side with humans, studying with the likes of Plato, acting as a teacher to Ancient Egyptians, and even teaching Elvis some guitar licks. Makkari has also played a major role in combating Deviants, having formed the Monster Hunters team, and later survived the original Skrull invasion of Earth.
Image via Marvel Comics
Makkari has the same base Eternals powers but, in keeping with the name, also has tremendous running speed. Similar to The Flash, Makkari can create cyclones simply from running and can speed across water and up walls. However, doing so accumulates fatigue in Makkari’s body and makes them more susceptible to injury. This focus on speed borders on an obsession with Makkari, even at a cost of their other abilities.
In Eternals, Makkari will be a female character and, since Rifloff herself is deaf, the character will reflect that reality as well. Perhaps that will factor into Makkari coming into contact with the Dreaming Celestial, eventually becoming their prophet…
Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos
Often confused with the Greek god Hephaestus, Phastos is the main tech/equipment guy for the Eternals. Kingo’s sword, Ikaris’ flight suit, and more gear comes courtesy of Phastos; his own hammer also comes with matter-altering abilities that go above and beyond even those of the innate powers of the Eternals. Phastos has those powers as well but often chooses not to wield them, being happier in the “workshop” instead of the battlefield.
Image via Marvel Comics
Salma Hayek as Ajak
Another Polar Eternal like Ikaris, Ajak was traditionally a man who was well-versed in archaeology. In addition to fighting alongside other Eternals against Kro’s Deviants in Babylon millennia ago, Ajak also had a presence in Central America; this led to the Native Americans worshiping him as a flying god like Quetzacoatl or Tecumotzin. And despite playing a major diplomatic role between the Eternals and the Celestials during the Third Host, Ajak then put himself in a self-imposed “storage” state to await their return.
This Eternal is the only one capable of direct communication with the Celestials, but the rest of the power set is your pretty standard god-like fare. However, this is as good a time as any to mention the Uni-Mind, a ceremony that leads to the formation of a collective physical and mental being formed of the participating Eternals. The gigantic brain-like organism funnels the power and abilities of some hundreds of Eternals into one being, but often with devastating consequences to we puny humans. However, Celestials can still dismantle the Uni-Mind, and individual members, like Ajak, can opt out of the party.
Image via Marvel Comics
Lia McHugh as Sprite
Traditionally appearing as a young boy, Sprite is the “Loki” or “Puck” of the Eternals, a trickster and jokester whose childish behavior hasn’t changed a bit over the centuries. Despite the deadly nature of these pranks when it comes to the frail humans, and despite punishments handed out because of it, Sprite remains mischievous.
In Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr.‘s 2006 run on the series, Sprite is one of the Eternals who has amnesia regarding their past, powers, and abilities. And while it suffices to say that Sprite has a big part to play in all the Eternals regaining what they’ve lost, and in the communication with the Dreaming Celestial, we’ll stop before getting too spoilery. There’s no telling just which direction this script is going to go but Gaiman and Romita’s story would be a solid entrypoint into the franchise.
Image via Marvel Comics
Don Lee as Gilgamesh
Also known as Hero and The Forgotten One, Gilgamesh is basically your go-to iconic hero of myth and legend. Hercules, Samson, Beowulf, Atlas … all the same Eternal. But his dalliances in the human world earned him an exile from the then-Prime Eternal Zuras. It was Sprite who brought Gilgamesh back into the fold during the Fourth Host to help the other Eternals fight back against the Deviants.
Image via Marvel Comics
While Gilgamesh boasts the same abilities as the other Eternals, he’s the strongest of the lot (perhaps with the exception of Thanos). Gilgamesh has had numerous battles alongside the Avengers; somewhere in his adventures, he became blind and had to develop a sort of radar to compensate. That’s never quite been explained, and neither has his recovery.
Gilgamesh is often the subject of ridicule by comics fans and the character is overshadowed by pretty much every other Avenger ever; let’s hope The Forgotten One gets a time to shine in the new movie.
While these are the core characters and cast members of Eternals, there are still quite a few pieces of this puzzle to put together. Keeps your eyes peeled for more casting announcements that should help clarify the story in the months to come.
How Jane Foster wound up as female Thor in the comics
In case there are any questions of worthiness
By Joel Murphy Jul 22, 2019, 8:10pm EDT
In a Marvel Comic-Con panel packed with huge announcements, one moment that got fans buzzing was Natalie Portman triumphantly raising Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, to signify that Jane Foster would be taking the mantle from her ex, Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth), in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder.
Those who only know Jane Foster from the Marvel Cinematic Universe may have been confused by this turn of events, but anyone who has followed Thor’s adventures in the comics in recent years is likely excited for this adaptation of writer Jason Aaron and artist Russell Dauterman’s 2014 comic book storyline.
Jane Foster has deep roots in Thor’s comics. Jane originally debuted in September 1962’s Journey into Mystery #84. Foster, a creation of writers Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, along with artist Jack Kirby, was originally a nurse who over the years became a doctor.
She first wielded Mjölnir in a 1978 “What If” comic. However, it was Aaron and Dauterman’s storyline that made the move canon in the official Thor continuity.
Marvel Comics
The 2014 storyline followed Original Sin, an epic crossover event spanning multiple Marvel comics that revolved around the mysterious death of Uatu the Watcher on his moon base. As the story unfolded, Thor was deemed no longer worthy to wield Mjölnir and the hammer was left abandoned on the moon.
After Original Sin, Frost Giants invade Earth and a new Mighty Thor arrives to save the day. For the first seven issues, her identity was a mystery. The original Thor, Odinson, initially tries to reclaim the role from her, but eventually acknowledges that she’s worthy after seeing her in action.
Throughout the comics, Odinson attempts to figure out the true identity of this new Mighty Thor. He suspects Jane as a potential candidate, but rules her out because she’s undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer and is, in his mind, to weakened to be Thor. In issue #8, after a showdown with the Destroyer, Odinson begs the new Thor to reveal her true identity. It’s in that issue that we discover that the new Mighty Thor is, in fact, Jane.
However, Jane is dying of breast cancer and being the goddess of Thunder only exacerbates her condition. (The transformation actually purges all “toxins” — including the chemo — from her body every time she becomes Thor.) When her true identity is finally revealed, her body noticeably ravaged by the illness, she declares, “I am Dr. Jane Foster. And I will not stop being the mighty Thor. Even though it is killing me.”
She continues as Thor, eventually becoming an Avenger. Her cancer also continues to spread. Eventually, while working alongside Doctor Strange to treat mystical tumors in his former patients, Jane’s illness becomes so severe that Strange warns her becoming Thor again will likely kill her. But when Mangog attacks Asgard, she does so anyway, sacrificing Mjölnir — and her life — to defeat the foe.
Since this is Comic Books, where no one really stays dead, Odinson and Odin are eventually able to revive Jane and the original Thor becomes worthy enough to reclaim the mantle. At that point, Jane decides to focus on her health and eventually her cancer goes into remission.
What does this mean for the MCU? It’s unclear at the moment if Waititi will have Portman’s version of the character suffer a similar illness or if this Jane will become Thor without simultaneously battling cancer. Either way, fans who have seen her mostly in a sidekick role (despite Thor: The Dark World’s efforts to give her a more substantial role) may finally see a version of the character as worthy as Portman is in her Saturday Night Live raps.
Also, as an added bonus, in the comics, Foster goes on to become a Valkyrie in “War of the Realms” after meeting the original Valkyrie, which should get fans excited for the aftermath of Love and Thunder since Tessa Thompson is also confirmed to be reprising her role from Thor: Ragnarok in this film.
In case there are any questions of worthiness
By Joel Murphy Jul 22, 2019, 8:10pm EDT
In a Marvel Comic-Con panel packed with huge announcements, one moment that got fans buzzing was Natalie Portman triumphantly raising Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, to signify that Jane Foster would be taking the mantle from her ex, Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth), in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder.
Those who only know Jane Foster from the Marvel Cinematic Universe may have been confused by this turn of events, but anyone who has followed Thor’s adventures in the comics in recent years is likely excited for this adaptation of writer Jason Aaron and artist Russell Dauterman’s 2014 comic book storyline.
Jane Foster has deep roots in Thor’s comics. Jane originally debuted in September 1962’s Journey into Mystery #84. Foster, a creation of writers Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, along with artist Jack Kirby, was originally a nurse who over the years became a doctor.
She first wielded Mjölnir in a 1978 “What If” comic. However, it was Aaron and Dauterman’s storyline that made the move canon in the official Thor continuity.
The 2014 storyline followed Original Sin, an epic crossover event spanning multiple Marvel comics that revolved around the mysterious death of Uatu the Watcher on his moon base. As the story unfolded, Thor was deemed no longer worthy to wield Mjölnir and the hammer was left abandoned on the moon.
After Original Sin, Frost Giants invade Earth and a new Mighty Thor arrives to save the day. For the first seven issues, her identity was a mystery. The original Thor, Odinson, initially tries to reclaim the role from her, but eventually acknowledges that she’s worthy after seeing her in action.
Throughout the comics, Odinson attempts to figure out the true identity of this new Mighty Thor. He suspects Jane as a potential candidate, but rules her out because she’s undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer and is, in his mind, to weakened to be Thor. In issue #8, after a showdown with the Destroyer, Odinson begs the new Thor to reveal her true identity. It’s in that issue that we discover that the new Mighty Thor is, in fact, Jane.
However, Jane is dying of breast cancer and being the goddess of Thunder only exacerbates her condition. (The transformation actually purges all “toxins” — including the chemo — from her body every time she becomes Thor.) When her true identity is finally revealed, her body noticeably ravaged by the illness, she declares, “I am Dr. Jane Foster. And I will not stop being the mighty Thor. Even though it is killing me.”
She continues as Thor, eventually becoming an Avenger. Her cancer also continues to spread. Eventually, while working alongside Doctor Strange to treat mystical tumors in his former patients, Jane’s illness becomes so severe that Strange warns her becoming Thor again will likely kill her. But when Mangog attacks Asgard, she does so anyway, sacrificing Mjölnir — and her life — to defeat the foe.
Since this is Comic Books, where no one really stays dead, Odinson and Odin are eventually able to revive Jane and the original Thor becomes worthy enough to reclaim the mantle. At that point, Jane decides to focus on her health and eventually her cancer goes into remission.
What does this mean for the MCU? It’s unclear at the moment if Waititi will have Portman’s version of the character suffer a similar illness or if this Jane will become Thor without simultaneously battling cancer. Either way, fans who have seen her mostly in a sidekick role (despite Thor: The Dark World’s efforts to give her a more substantial role) may finally see a version of the character as worthy as Portman is in her Saturday Night Live raps.
Also, as an added bonus, in the comics, Foster goes on to become a Valkyrie in “War of the Realms” after meeting the original Valkyrie, which should get fans excited for the aftermath of Love and Thunder since Tessa Thompson is also confirmed to be reprising her role from Thor: Ragnarok in this film.
Marvel’s ‘Eternals’ Explained: Who Are Angelina Jolie & Co. Playing, Anyway?
BY DAVE TRUMBORE JULY 23, 2019
SHARE TWEET
Back in 2013 and early 2014, lots of folks had reservations about just how successful James Gunn‘s Guardians of the Galaxy would be. The well-established MCU hadn’t tackled anything quite like the rag-tag team of space adventurers up until that point and they weren’t exactly household names among any but the diehard comics fans. That gamble worked out pretty well. After two films, with another one on the way, an animated series and a spinoff of shorts, video games, theme park attractions and more, the franchise is humming along fine on its own. And it has likely paved the way for the MCU’s next big gamble, Eternals.
Don’t feel too bad if you haven’t heard of this Marvel Comics’ title team that was originally introduced back in 1976, courtesy of the legendary Jack Kirby. The title centered on a fictional species of humans, an offshoot of Earth’s evolutionary process that was apparently kickstarted by aliens known as Celestials. The superpowered Eternals were intended to be immortal defenders of Earth, which led them into centuries of battle against the opposing force known as the Deviants. (Thanos was born to Eternals but had the Deviant gene, so if you’re familiar with him, you’re halfway to understanding the mythology already!) So who exactly are they and what can we expect from these relatively obscure characters? We’ve given you a primer below to tell you just that.
Angelina Jolie as Thena
Jolie is obviously the most recognizable name in this cast, and her character Thena might just be the most recognizable of the bunch. Most of that recognition comes from the similar-sounding “Athena”, which has probably confused as many people in the real world as it did in the ancient fictional world of Eternals. The title immortals have been around defending Earth for so long that they often are mistaken for, or actually represent, actual deities in the canon. Take, for example, the city of Athens being built in Thena’s name and not Athena’s.
Like all Eternals, Thena possesses superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes, with the addition of cool tricks like invulnerability and immortality through manipulation of cosmic energy, and projection of this energy as a weapon. She can also fly, rearrange the molecular structure of objects, cast illusions, and teleport (though most Eternals find this unpleasant). God-like, indeed. In addition to being an accomplished hand-to-hand fighter, Thena wields both a bow and an energy spear. She’s also a scholar, having studied under history’s most brilliant minds, both human and Eternal, over the centuries.
Image via Marvel Comics
As for her character’s history, she has quite the on-again/off-again romantic relationship with Kro, a supervillainous warlord who is the leader of the Deviant race. Though that character hasn’t been officially announced for the Eternals movie just yet, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pop up: His presence complicated Thena’s time as the Prime Eternal (the leader of the Earth’s Eternals) and even brought her into direct conflict with the team members themselves. She eventually relinquishes her title to Ikaris and is banished, but her adventures continued with enough drama for many more movies to come.
Richard Madden as Ikaris
Over 20,000 years old by the time we meet him, Ikaris is known for a couple of things in the fictionalized “real-world” mythology: Having guided an ark to safety during the “Great Cataclysm” (the sinking of Atlantis due to an attack by the undersea civilization of Deviants known as Lemuria), Ikaris was thought by the surviving humans to be the dove who led Noah to safety; and as the actual father of the ill-fated Icarus, whose name Ikaris takes in memory of his passing.
Ikaris boasts many of the same powers as Thena and the other Eternals, though he can out-fly most of them. He also has some very basic psychic abilities which he puts to use against minds that are weaker than his own and has a relatively low-level ability to mentally rearrange matter. Ikaris can, however, generate enough heat to melt or disintegrate solid objects through manipulation of cosmic energy. Overusing this power can temporarily sap him of his strength, so expect to see that plot point played up!
Image via Marvel Comics
As for his story, Ikaris is tasked with getting ready for the return of the Celestials (their creators, and basically the creators of sentient human life as we know it on Earth; you already know one Celestial: Knowhere, the severed head floating in space in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies!). They are on their way back to Earth for what’s known as the Fourth Host, to judge their creations and remove any Deviant footholds by any means necessary. (Past Hosts have included genetic meddling, worldwide floods, and defeats of rebel uprisings.) After too many battles to list here, Ikaris continues his role as leader of the Eternals but does so as an active and public protector of humanity (once even adopting an alias as a professional wrestler, Ike “Iceberg” Harris). But his major conflict is with fellow Eternal Thena; we’ll see how that plays out in the big-screen version of the story.
Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo
Kingo Sunen is a sort of Renaissance man, an accomplished swordsman who studied the ways of the samurai for years in Japan, only to employ them in the action movie business in the modern era.
Choosing to use an epic sword (which can cut through anything) forged by a fellow Eternal, Kingo rarely uses his superpowers though he still possesses them. He’s got a part to play in a long-running conflict with a Celestial known as Tiamut the Communicator, a.k.a. the Dreaming Celestial, so we’ll see if that factors into the script at all.
Image via Marvel Comics
Lauren Ridloff as Makkari
If Makkari sounds like Mercury to you, there’s a good reason for that! The character’s history includes a retcon that sees the 1940 introduction of Mercury in “Red Raven Comics #1” and the 1941 “Captain America Comics #1” introduction of Hurricane as two instances of the Eternal. Confused yet? It gets worse!
Originally (and often) a man throughout the series, Makkari was born in the Eternals capital of Olympia in ancient times. A skilled engineer and technologist, Makkari has long existed side by side with humans, studying with the likes of Plato, acting as a teacher to Ancient Egyptians, and even teaching Elvis some guitar licks. Makkari has also played a major role in combating Deviants, having formed the Monster Hunters team, and later survived the original Skrull invasion of Earth.
Image via Marvel Comics
Makkari has the same base Eternals powers but, in keeping with the name, also has tremendous running speed. Similar to The Flash, Makkari can create cyclones simply from running and can speed across water and up walls. However, doing so accumulates fatigue in Makkari’s body and makes them more susceptible to injury. This focus on speed borders on an obsession with Makkari, even at a cost of their other abilities.
In Eternals, Makkari will be a female character and, since Rifloff herself is deaf, the character will reflect that reality as well. Perhaps that will factor into Makkari coming into contact with the Dreaming Celestial, eventually becoming their prophet…
Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos
Often confused with the Greek god Hephaestus, Phastos is the main tech/equipment guy for the Eternals. Kingo’s sword, Ikaris’ flight suit, and more gear comes courtesy of Phastos; his own hammer also comes with matter-altering abilities that go above and beyond even those of the innate powers of the Eternals. Phastos has those powers as well but often chooses not to wield them, being happier in the “workshop” instead of the battlefield.
Image via Marvel Comics
Salma Hayek as Ajak
Another Polar Eternal like Ikaris, Ajak was traditionally a man who was well-versed in archaeology. In addition to fighting alongside other Eternals against Kro’s Deviants in Babylon millennia ago, Ajak also had a presence in Central America; this led to the Native Americans worshiping him as a flying god like Quetzacoatl or Tecumotzin. And despite playing a major diplomatic role between the Eternals and the Celestials during the Third Host, Ajak then put himself in a self-imposed “storage” state to await their return.
This Eternal is the only one capable of direct communication with the Celestials, but the rest of the power set is your pretty standard god-like fare. However, this is as good a time as any to mention the Uni-Mind, a ceremony that leads to the formation of a collective physical and mental being formed of the participating Eternals. The gigantic brain-like organism funnels the power and abilities of some hundreds of Eternals into one being, but often with devastating consequences to we puny humans. However, Celestials can still dismantle the Uni-Mind, and individual members, like Ajak, can opt out of the party.
Image via Marvel Comics
Lia McHugh as Sprite
Traditionally appearing as a young boy, Sprite is the “Loki” or “Puck” of the Eternals, a trickster and jokester whose childish behavior hasn’t changed a bit over the centuries. Despite the deadly nature of these pranks when it comes to the frail humans, and despite punishments handed out because of it, Sprite remains mischievous.
In Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr.‘s 2006 run on the series, Sprite is one of the Eternals who has amnesia regarding their past, powers, and abilities. And while it suffices to say that Sprite has a big part to play in all the Eternals regaining what they’ve lost, and in the communication with the Dreaming Celestial, we’ll stop before getting too spoilery. There’s no telling just which direction this script is going to go but Gaiman and Romita’s story would be a solid entrypoint into the franchise.
Image via Marvel Comics
Don Lee as Gilgamesh
Also known as Hero and The Forgotten One, Gilgamesh is basically your go-to iconic hero of myth and legend. Hercules, Samson, Beowulf, Atlas … all the same Eternal. But his dalliances in the human world earned him an exile from the then-Prime Eternal Zuras. It was Sprite who brought Gilgamesh back into the fold during the Fourth Host to help the other Eternals fight back against the Deviants.
Image via Marvel Comics
While Gilgamesh boasts the same abilities as the other Eternals, he’s the strongest of the lot (perhaps with the exception of Thanos). Gilgamesh has had numerous battles alongside the Avengers; somewhere in his adventures, he became blind and had to develop a sort of radar to compensate. That’s never quite been explained, and neither has his recovery.
Gilgamesh is often the subject of ridicule by comics fans and the character is overshadowed by pretty much every other Avenger ever; let’s hope The Forgotten One gets a time to shine in the new movie.
While these are the core characters and cast members of Eternals, there are still quite a few pieces of this puzzle to put together. Keeps your eyes peeled for more casting announcements that should help clarify the story in the months to come.
Where the hell is Sersi?
This sounds like a mess in the making.Marvel’s ‘Eternals’ Explained: Who Are Angelina Jolie & Co. Playing, Anyway?
BY DAVE TRUMBORE JULY 23, 2019
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Back in 2013 and early 2014, lots of folks had reservations about just how successful James Gunn‘s Guardians of the Galaxy would be. The well-established MCU hadn’t tackled anything quite like the rag-tag team of space adventurers up until that point and they weren’t exactly household names among any but the diehard comics fans. That gamble worked out pretty well. After two films, with another one on the way, an animated series and a spinoff of shorts, video games, theme park attractions and more, the franchise is humming along fine on its own. And it has likely paved the way for the MCU’s next big gamble, Eternals.
Don’t feel too bad if you haven’t heard of this Marvel Comics’ title team that was originally introduced back in 1976, courtesy of the legendary Jack Kirby. The title centered on a fictional species of humans, an offshoot of Earth’s evolutionary process that was apparently kickstarted by aliens known as Celestials. The superpowered Eternals were intended to be immortal defenders of Earth, which led them into centuries of battle against the opposing force known as the Deviants. (Thanos was born to Eternals but had the Deviant gene, so if you’re familiar with him, you’re halfway to understanding the mythology already!) So who exactly are they and what can we expect from these relatively obscure characters? We’ve given you a primer below to tell you just that.
Angelina Jolie as Thena
Jolie is obviously the most recognizable name in this cast, and her character Thena might just be the most recognizable of the bunch. Most of that recognition comes from the similar-sounding “Athena”, which has probably confused as many people in the real world as it did in the ancient fictional world of Eternals. The title immortals have been around defending Earth for so long that they often are mistaken for, or actually represent, actual deities in the canon. Take, for example, the city of Athens being built in Thena’s name and not Athena’s.
Like all Eternals, Thena possesses superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes, with the addition of cool tricks like invulnerability and immortality through manipulation of cosmic energy, and projection of this energy as a weapon. She can also fly, rearrange the molecular structure of objects, cast illusions, and teleport (though most Eternals find this unpleasant). God-like, indeed. In addition to being an accomplished hand-to-hand fighter, Thena wields both a bow and an energy spear. She’s also a scholar, having studied under history’s most brilliant minds, both human and Eternal, over the centuries.
Image via Marvel Comics
As for her character’s history, she has quite the on-again/off-again romantic relationship with Kro, a supervillainous warlord who is the leader of the Deviant race. Though that character hasn’t been officially announced for the Eternals movie just yet, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pop up: His presence complicated Thena’s time as the Prime Eternal (the leader of the Earth’s Eternals) and even brought her into direct conflict with the team members themselves. She eventually relinquishes her title to Ikaris and is banished, but her adventures continued with enough drama for many more movies to come.
Richard Madden as Ikaris
Over 20,000 years old by the time we meet him, Ikaris is known for a couple of things in the fictionalized “real-world” mythology: Having guided an ark to safety during the “Great Cataclysm” (the sinking of Atlantis due to an attack by the undersea civilization of Deviants known as Lemuria), Ikaris was thought by the surviving humans to be the dove who led Noah to safety; and as the actual father of the ill-fated Icarus, whose name Ikaris takes in memory of his passing.
Ikaris boasts many of the same powers as Thena and the other Eternals, though he can out-fly most of them. He also has some very basic psychic abilities which he puts to use against minds that are weaker than his own and has a relatively low-level ability to mentally rearrange matter. Ikaris can, however, generate enough heat to melt or disintegrate solid objects through manipulation of cosmic energy. Overusing this power can temporarily sap him of his strength, so expect to see that plot point played up!
Image via Marvel Comics
As for his story, Ikaris is tasked with getting ready for the return of the Celestials (their creators, and basically the creators of sentient human life as we know it on Earth; you already know one Celestial: Knowhere, the severed head floating in space in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies!). They are on their way back to Earth for what’s known as the Fourth Host, to judge their creations and remove any Deviant footholds by any means necessary. (Past Hosts have included genetic meddling, worldwide floods, and defeats of rebel uprisings.) After too many battles to list here, Ikaris continues his role as leader of the Eternals but does so as an active and public protector of humanity (once even adopting an alias as a professional wrestler, Ike “Iceberg” Harris). But his major conflict is with fellow Eternal Thena; we’ll see how that plays out in the big-screen version of the story.
Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo
Kingo Sunen is a sort of Renaissance man, an accomplished swordsman who studied the ways of the samurai for years in Japan, only to employ them in the action movie business in the modern era.
Choosing to use an epic sword (which can cut through anything) forged by a fellow Eternal, Kingo rarely uses his superpowers though he still possesses them. He’s got a part to play in a long-running conflict with a Celestial known as Tiamut the Communicator, a.k.a. the Dreaming Celestial, so we’ll see if that factors into the script at all.
Image via Marvel Comics
Lauren Ridloff as Makkari
If Makkari sounds like Mercury to you, there’s a good reason for that! The character’s history includes a retcon that sees the 1940 introduction of Mercury in “Red Raven Comics #1” and the 1941 “Captain America Comics #1” introduction of Hurricane as two instances of the Eternal. Confused yet? It gets worse!
Originally (and often) a man throughout the series, Makkari was born in the Eternals capital of Olympia in ancient times. A skilled engineer and technologist, Makkari has long existed side by side with humans, studying with the likes of Plato, acting as a teacher to Ancient Egyptians, and even teaching Elvis some guitar licks. Makkari has also played a major role in combating Deviants, having formed the Monster Hunters team, and later survived the original Skrull invasion of Earth.
Image via Marvel Comics
Makkari has the same base Eternals powers but, in keeping with the name, also has tremendous running speed. Similar to The Flash, Makkari can create cyclones simply from running and can speed across water and up walls. However, doing so accumulates fatigue in Makkari’s body and makes them more susceptible to injury. This focus on speed borders on an obsession with Makkari, even at a cost of their other abilities.
In Eternals, Makkari will be a female character and, since Rifloff herself is deaf, the character will reflect that reality as well. Perhaps that will factor into Makkari coming into contact with the Dreaming Celestial, eventually becoming their prophet…
Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos
Often confused with the Greek god Hephaestus, Phastos is the main tech/equipment guy for the Eternals. Kingo’s sword, Ikaris’ flight suit, and more gear comes courtesy of Phastos; his own hammer also comes with matter-altering abilities that go above and beyond even those of the innate powers of the Eternals. Phastos has those powers as well but often chooses not to wield them, being happier in the “workshop” instead of the battlefield.
Image via Marvel Comics
Salma Hayek as Ajak
Another Polar Eternal like Ikaris, Ajak was traditionally a man who was well-versed in archaeology. In addition to fighting alongside other Eternals against Kro’s Deviants in Babylon millennia ago, Ajak also had a presence in Central America; this led to the Native Americans worshiping him as a flying god like Quetzacoatl or Tecumotzin. And despite playing a major diplomatic role between the Eternals and the Celestials during the Third Host, Ajak then put himself in a self-imposed “storage” state to await their return.
This Eternal is the only one capable of direct communication with the Celestials, but the rest of the power set is your pretty standard god-like fare. However, this is as good a time as any to mention the Uni-Mind, a ceremony that leads to the formation of a collective physical and mental being formed of the participating Eternals. The gigantic brain-like organism funnels the power and abilities of some hundreds of Eternals into one being, but often with devastating consequences to we puny humans. However, Celestials can still dismantle the Uni-Mind, and individual members, like Ajak, can opt out of the party.
Image via Marvel Comics
Lia McHugh as Sprite
Traditionally appearing as a young boy, Sprite is the “Loki” or “Puck” of the Eternals, a trickster and jokester whose childish behavior hasn’t changed a bit over the centuries. Despite the deadly nature of these pranks when it comes to the frail humans, and despite punishments handed out because of it, Sprite remains mischievous.
In Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr.‘s 2006 run on the series, Sprite is one of the Eternals who has amnesia regarding their past, powers, and abilities. And while it suffices to say that Sprite has a big part to play in all the Eternals regaining what they’ve lost, and in the communication with the Dreaming Celestial, we’ll stop before getting too spoilery. There’s no telling just which direction this script is going to go but Gaiman and Romita’s story would be a solid entrypoint into the franchise.
Image via Marvel Comics
Don Lee as Gilgamesh
Also known as Hero and The Forgotten One, Gilgamesh is basically your go-to iconic hero of myth and legend. Hercules, Samson, Beowulf, Atlas … all the same Eternal. But his dalliances in the human world earned him an exile from the then-Prime Eternal Zuras. It was Sprite who brought Gilgamesh back into the fold during the Fourth Host to help the other Eternals fight back against the Deviants.
Image via Marvel Comics
While Gilgamesh boasts the same abilities as the other Eternals, he’s the strongest of the lot (perhaps with the exception of Thanos). Gilgamesh has had numerous battles alongside the Avengers; somewhere in his adventures, he became blind and had to develop a sort of radar to compensate. That’s never quite been explained, and neither has his recovery.
Gilgamesh is often the subject of ridicule by comics fans and the character is overshadowed by pretty much every other Avenger ever; let’s hope The Forgotten One gets a time to shine in the new movie.
While these are the core characters and cast members of Eternals, there are still quite a few pieces of this puzzle to put together. Keeps your eyes peeled for more casting announcements that should help clarify the story in the months to come.
No Sale. I think I'm done with the MCU just like Star Wars. 
Natalie Portman can't be that ...
wish they would fingersnap that idea smh
wish they would fingersnap that idea smh
Natalie Portman - yawn. I think Angelina Jolie has had her day. And I don't want to be insensitive but we know she had a double mastectomy. If people don't think sex has a lot to do with Marvel (or anything) they're woefully ignorant. Salmas titties might just be able to do double-duty tho.
Rachel Weisz is a spectacular actress. Notice how Marvel is just fucking plucking Oscar winners left and right? Think acting chops don't have something to do with the quality of the movies?
Rachel Weisz is a spectacular actress. Notice how Marvel is just fucking plucking Oscar winners left and right? Think acting chops don't have something to do with the quality of the movies?
Smh I missed this thread.
Black Oscar winners at that
Late pass but,
Looking at the commercial for The Boys
Karl Urban could be a good wolverine. I know he was already in the mcu but he had a different look and his character wasnt major
Looking at the commercial for The Boys
Karl Urban could be a good wolverine. I know he was already in the mcu but he had a different look and his character wasnt major
WHY MARVEL'S FIRST ASIAN SUPERHERO SHANG CHI WILL CHANGE THE GAME!!
Simu Liu 5 days ago
Damn they really gonna go after my looks like that LOL Just kidding man I love you guys. Thank you for being pioneers in the fight!
Bruh what are you talking about?! DC had a plan too.
Phase 1 - Rush a universe and announce a new movie every week
Phase 2 - ????
Phase 3 - Profit
I just thought of the perfect intro to the black Widow movie...
Opening shot
We travel to the soul world as she's still pondering the revelation her father's name was Ivan, a man she never knew.
Than through soul world we travel back in the past and see along with her the past she never knew.
Late pass but,
Looking at the commercial for The Boys
Karl Urban could be a good wolverine. I know he was already in the mcu but he had a different look and his character wasnt major
idk, could be. Marvel makes some excellent casting decisions. I can only think of two missteps. Whoever they cast, I'm sure he'll be fine.
Funny how both Karl and his partner are back in space.
Neat
