While Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced plenty of intriguing new heroes and storylines, it has also failed to satisfyingly weave them all together. And nowhere is that disconnection more clear than in the way Marvel has struggled to address the ending of Eternals.
The Chloé Zhao-directed superhero epic famously concludes with its titular team of immortals coming together to stop the birth of a new Celestial named Tiamut, a process that would have resulted in the destruction of the Earth. However, while the Eternals manage to prevent Tiamut’s birth, they don’t totally stop the Celestial from emerging. Instead, Eternals ends with Tiamut’s head and arms protruding from one of the planet’s oceans.
Despite that fact, none of the MCU films or TV shows that have come after Eternals have addressed the giant alien body sticking out of the planet where most of the MCU action is based. Fortunately, if one new fan theory is to be believed, that’s not because Marvel intends to totally ignore the events of Eternals...
A Pulse of Cosmic Energy — In a recent Reddit post, u/Chronon_Field speculated that the cosmic energy likely released into the Earth after Tiamut’s incomplete emergence may end up catching the attention of none other than Galactus. If that happens, the Redditor believes Galactus will try to eat Earth in order to consume the leftover energy from Tiamut’s death.
Now, it’s worth noting that this theory is purely speculative at the moment. However, if something like this does end up happening, that would mean not only has Marvel always had greater context for Eternals’ messy conclusion, but that the event represents the first piece of a planned Galactus-centric MCU arc.
The Long-Awaited Payoff — In the comics, Galactus is an ancient cosmic being that travels across the universe consuming the energy of planets suitable for his own nourishment. Taking that into account, it’d make a lot of sense if Tiamut’s death — and the energy released from it — is what eventually ends up leading Galactus to Earth in the MCU. That’s assuming, of course, that Marvel even intends to bring Galactus into the MCU at any point in the future.
That said, Galactus’ MCU debut is beginning to feel more like an inevitability than just a distant possibility. After all, Marvel will eventually have find some way to follow up 2025’s Avengers: Secret Wars, which will conclude the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. Unfortunately, there aren’t many comic book villains who pose a bigger threat than Secret Wars’ Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).
Not only is Galactus one of the few beings who could take Kang’s place in the MCU, his introduction would also allow Marvel to bring in a number of other interesting cosmic figures — namely, the Silver Surfer.
The Inverse Analysis — Unfortunately, comic book fans will have to wait to see what plans, if any, Marvel Studios has Galactus. If Marvel does intend to introduce Galactus on-screen, Eternals has already given the studio the perfect inciting incident for a storyline centered around the Destroyer of Worlds.
Telling a story similar to the one outlined in this fan theory would not only allow the studio to deliver an even bigger conflict than the one expected to unfold in Secret Wars, it would also give Marvel the chance to finally recognize the enormity of Eternals’ ending.
Eternals is now available to stream on Disney+.
