Before we knew anything about Eternals, Marvel Cinematic Universe fans wondered how it would tie into the Infinity Saga when the first synopsis revealed that the titular alien race had been residing on Earth for thousands of years, but done nothing to prevent Thanos from wiping out half of all living creatures with one snap of his fingers.
Every Phase Four project has referenced the cataclysmic event in one way or another, and Chloé Zhao’s cosmic epic will follow suit after the trailer made mention of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes on several occasions. If only Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and the gang had known about the all-powerful beings lurking in the shadows before several of their key players were taken off the board, then things might have turned out very differently.
Richard Madden’s Ikaris was one of the names to put himself forward to take charge of the Avengers in the Eternals promo, and in a new interview with Total Film magazine the actor revealed if he’s ready to take on the responsibility next time the MCU’s all-stars need assembling.
“I don’t know. I know that he’s a good leader and a good soldier. If those are two traits that you need to lead the Avengers, then he has them. But I wouldn’t be able to predict that.”
It’s a lot more likely that the Eternals will end up lending an assist to the Avengers next time we get a massive crossover event, rather than applying for direct membership. After all, should the first installment perform in line with expectations they’ll have their own franchise to worry about, and keeping the established dynamic in place would work much better than splitting the team immediately after their debut.