What is Marvel going to do with the Eternals?
That question has been on the minds of MCU fans ever since Eternals hit theaters last November. The Chloé Zhao-directed superhero epic went out of its way to set up several storylines for a sequel to explore, but also received mixed reviews. As a result, fans have been left to wonder for nearly a year whether Marvel intends to shelve its Eternals 2 plans or stick with the franchise’s cosmic superhero team for at least one more adventure.
Marvel hasn’t offered much of an answer to that question. However, it looks like one Eternals star may have just spoiled Marvel’s plans for its most eccentric band of cosmic beings.
Pip’s Return — During a recent interview on The Today Show, Patton Oswalt talked about his role as Pip the Troll, the character he briefly played in the Eternals’ mid-credits scene that introduces Harry Styles’ Eros (aka Starfox). The scene sets up both characters as new allies for the Eternals.
When Oswalt spoke about his future as Pip the Troll he said, “They have announced there’s going to be an Eternals sequel. Chloé Zhao is going to direct it. So hopefully, there will be more adventures of Starfox and Pip.”
Keeping Things Cosmic — Oswalt’s comment quickly made headlines because Marvel hasn’t actually said anything about an Eternals sequel yet. In fact, the Eternals were absent from the studio’s entire San Diego Comic-Con panel. Oswalt is either mistaken, or he accidentally leaked some confidential information.
Either way, Oswalt’s certainty about Eternals 2 seems to suggest that Marvel is at least considering working with Chloé Zhao on a sequel to her 2021 superhero flick. It’s impossible to say exactly how an Eternals sequel would even fit into Marvel’s Phase 5 and 6 plans, but it is worth noting that Marvel fans began suspecting last month that an Eternals sequel might be in the works.
Those rumors began to swirl after it was reported that Marvel had filed to trademark several titles, including Celestials: End of Time. Because Eternals ends with several of the film’s central heroes getting kidnapped by Arishem the Judge, one of the MCU’s Celestials, fans began to suspect that Celestials: End of Time may be the title of an Eternals sequel.
It’s not unusual for names to be trademarked but not used. However, thanks to Oswalt’s comments, there’s a very real possibility the movie becomes a reality. And given their status as some of the MCU’s greatest cosmic beings, it would make sense for the Eternals and their Celestial rulers to play some role in the Multiverse Saga.
The Inverse Analysis — In an interview with MTV at San Diego Comic-Con, Kevin Feige was asked if fans would soon get to learn more about Marvel’s plans for Harry Styles’ Eros. In response, Feige teased, “Yes. The adventures of Eros and Pip is something that is very exciting for us.” In the same interview, the Marvel boss reiterated that the Multiverse Saga will explore every level of the MCU, including the cosmic side where “Eros and Pip live.”
So there are reasons to believe that Oswalt’s confidence about Eternals 2 is well founded. However, we’ll likely have to wait a bit longer before we find out exactly what Marvel has planned for the Eternals.
Eternals is available to stream on Disney+.
