For a long time, Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films were almost guaranteed hits, earning both good reviews and lots of money. While some of the earliest movies weren’t quite as strong as later ones, most were successful – only The Incredible Hulk didn’t perform well in theaters. Even films like Iron Man 2 and Thor: The Dark World, which some people didn’t love, were generally well-received. This success made Marvel more confident, allowing them to take risks with unusual characters and stories – like the Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man – and those risks paid off. It felt like the MCU could do no wrong.
As a big Marvel fan, I’ve noticed things have been a little shaky lately, and it really started to feel that way with Eternals when it came out in November 2021. It was a rough year for Marvel, and for movies in general, because we were still dealing with the pandemic. Before that, Black Widow made $379 million worldwide, but cost around $200 million to make, and it was released on Disney+ the same day as in theaters. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings did a bit better with $432 million, but reportedly cost between $150 and $200 million to produce, so it wasn’t a massive win either.
Despite costing around $236 million to make, the movie Eternals brought in $402 million at the box office. However, its performance wasn’t the biggest issue – it simply didn’t meet expectations for a Marvel Cinematic Universe film with stars like Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek and an Oscar-winning director, Chloé Zhao. The real problem was the critical reception: with a 47% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Eternals became the first MCU movie to receive a ‘rotten’ rating on the site.
What Went Wrong With Eternals?
Eternals had the potential to be a truly great Marvel film, thanks to its talented cast and interesting characters. These immortals possess powers comparable to – and sometimes exceeding – the Avengers, and their strong family relationships could have added significant emotional depth and drama, positioning them as a key new team in the franchise. However, the movie didn’t quite succeed, largely because director Chloé Zhao’s artistic style didn’t fully align with the established Marvel Cinematic Universe formula, preventing the film from reaching its full potential.
Okay, so I just finished watching this movie, and honestly, it felt long. Like, really long. It tried to do so much with its story and characters, but a lot of them just didn’t grab me. It got bogged down in explaining everything, and the villains? Definitely some of the weakest the MCU has thrown at us. They were aiming for a central romance, which I think is a good idea in theory, but the chemistry between Sersi and Ikaris just wasn’t there, and it made it hard to really care about their story. That being said, it wasn’t a total loss. The action was pretty solid – especially anything with Makkari and her super speed – and visually, it was stunning. Plus, Kumail Nanjiani was a welcome source of humor, and Angelina Jolie really brought some much-needed emotional weight to the film.
Eternals Was A Turning Point For The MCU
While Eternals wasn’t the absolute worst Marvel movie, it marked a turning point. It was the first time people felt comfortable openly criticizing Marvel Studios. Previous films like The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, and Thor: The Dark World all received significantly better reviews, and Eternals didn’t really deserve the negative reputation it initially received.
It’s likely a combination of factors that led to the change in how Marvel movies are received. Maybe audiences were tired of superhero films, or perhaps director Chloé Zhao, known for her independent work and an Academy Award, didn’t quite fit within the Marvel formula. It could also be due to the problems mentioned before. Whatever the reason, reviews for Marvel films have clearly declined. In fact, the five lowest-rated Marvel movies on Rotten Tomatoes all came out this decade, and four of them were released after Eternals.
| Movie | RT Critics Score |
|---|---|
| Captain America: Brave New World | 46% |
| Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania | 46% |
| Eternals | 47% |
| The Marvels | 63% |
| Thor: Love and Thunder | 63% |
The real problem is an overall decline in quality. Marvel shifted its focus too strongly to streaming, and releasing so many movies and shows created several issues. Key creative talent was stretched too thin, leading to a lack of a unified vision and consistent quality. While individual movies aren’t drastically worse than some older, weaker entries, there have been more consistently underwhelming releases recently than ever before.
Marvel has realized it was releasing too much content. They’re slowing down production, especially with live-action streaming shows, and will release fewer movies – only two next year and just one in 2027. The quality of their upcoming films seems to be improving; while Captain America: Brave New World wasn’t well-received, Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are both promising. Hopefully, this positive trend continues, although it might not be enough to salvage earlier missteps like Eternals.
Do The Eternals Have An MCU Future?
Like with most Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Eternals felt like just the first chapter. You always expect these characters to have a future, and this movie definitely laid some groundwork for what’s to come. The post-credit scenes were packed with potential – we saw the Eternals meeting Harry Styles’ Starfox, and then Dane Whitman discovering the Ebony Blade, hinting at his journey to become the Black Knight. Plus, Mahershala Ali made a brief (voice-only!) appearance as Blade, which was a really exciting tease for what’s next. It felt like Marvel was setting up a lot of cool storylines!
Honestly, it’s been four years and we still haven’t seen any return on that investment, and I don’t think we ever will. The first movie just didn’t do well enough with audiences or critics to really justify a sequel. Last year, Kevin Feige pretty much confirmed there aren’t any plans for Eternals 2 right now, and knowing Marvel, things can change, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. It’d be a huge shock if they announced one anytime soon.
Eternals is available to stream on Disney+. The next MCU movies are:
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day – July 31st, 2026.
- Avengers: Doomsday – December 18th, 2026.
- Avengers: Secret Wars – December 17th, 2027.
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2025-11-05 18:41