It was only recently that we heard an intriguing fan theory explaining how Eternals could potentially be setting the stage for the introduction of Hercules and more Greek gods to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and now producer Nate Moore may have teased the very same thing.
We know that Russell Crowe’s Zeus is set to appear in next summer’s Thor: Love and Thunder, but his impending arrival could be hinted at during the upcoming cosmic blockbuster. Hercules has been heavily linked with his live-action debut for a long time now, and Eternals changing the titular team’s origin stories could be the way to set things in motion at long last.
In a set visit interview via ComicBook, Moore revealed what drew the Eternals to Earth in the first place, and why they decided to stay.
“In the past, we see the Eternals, who in our version of the mythology, are immortal aliens from a planet called Olympia. The group has been tasked by the Celestials to come to Earth and eliminate creatures known as Deviants. The Deviants are these parasitic aliens who go from planet to planet, and as they kill the apex predators on a given planet, they sort of take the characteristics of those predators and wipe out intelligent life. Well, the Eternals are heroes, so they’ve come to earth to eradicate the Deviants and allow humanity to thrive.”
Kevin Feige previously hinted that the movie would establish the Eternals as an influence on mythological tales of gods and monsters, and in the comic books Olympia is a hidden city that houses Marvel’s Greek gods. The two sets of immortal deities have been close allies in the pages of Marvel Comics on countless occasions across the decades, and nothing ever happens by accident in the MCU.