There is a vocal contingent of scholars arguing that it is time to “build critical momentum” in order to reach broader consensus regarding “the cultural significance of comics as an aesthetically complex, historically rich, and substantially American medium” ( Stein et al. This moment in human history fractures the group: some want to prevent the genocide while some say they must stick to the parameters of their mission, which dictate that they have to stay out of human conflict unless Deviants are involved. The year 1521 CE sees the Eternals eradicate the Deviants in the same time and place as the Spanish conquistadors are committing genocide against the indigenous people of the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan. This particular date is key for seeing the characters and the film directly respond to Western colonialism. Through these flashbacks, the audience is sped through human history from 5000 BCE with the arrival of the Eternals–who are sent by the even more powerful Arishem, who is a Celestial–to 1521 CE, when apparently the Deviants are eradicated from the planet. Although the film starts in the present day, flashbacks spaced throughout the film show the important roles these characters have played throughout history. The issue of whether or not this vision of history is both Western and non-Western recurs in different ways throughout the film, challenging the Western canon’s relationship with nationalism and race. Their role is not to interfere with human events or experience such as war or technological advances, but rather to eradicate another alien species, the Deviants, from the planet. The film focuses on ten eternal beings who have been a part of Earth’s history and cultural generation since the beginning of humanity. The creative minds behind this film had far more source material than they could ever fit into one film, so it is particularly important to track what storylines they chose to tell with these characters as they must be interpreted as deliberate artistic, nuanced choices rather than as ones dictated by the source material. 125) and it is therefore vital to understand that decades of comic book source material were available when this film was conceptualized and plotted. The Eternals characters first appeared in July 1976 ( DeFalco et al. Consequently, Marvel films such as this one need to be considered through the intermediary of their comic books. The secondary adaptation taking place in Eternals serves as a postcolonial response to both the comic book decisions and the narratives on which they draw. This initial adaptation of classical sources offers a Western-centric narrative. It is important to note that prior to the 2021 film Eternals, the comic book form has already filtered through various literary, historical, and mythological texts to create these characters and the basic premises of various story arcs for them. However, it simultaneously undercuts its story by couching it in the genre of a comic book superhero fantasy adventure–the reality Eternals offers, even fictionally, is beyond ordinary, mortal humans. Marvel’s Eternals therefore can be seen as utopian: it offers the perfection of moral predictability, of good triumphing over evil. Importantly, this vision presents a direct contrast to the resurgence of the appropriation of classical mythology as justification for white supremacy. While Marvel undoubtedly has commercial concerns, its careful construction of this new mythology and the considered adaptation process show a moral vision for the future. Its mythology, while rooted in Western narratives, presents a utopia in the form of a multicultural pantheon, presented by a carefully selected, diverse class. I think Arishem is as all-knowing and all-powerful as you could imagine.Marvel’s 2021 film Eternals presents a new mythology for a new century, for an audience grappling with the complexity of postcolonialism and concerned about resurging white nationalism. Kaz: So is Don Lee coming back? I don’t know, we don’t make those rules! It could be Gilgamesh with a different personality.

Ryan: All of his memories are there, too. Kaz: On a hard logistical level, I think there’s probably a clone of Gilgamesh sitting in the World Forge. Kaz: Yeah, in the sequel, we’ll cut back to him and he’s just going to be stuck there going, “Dammit!” Ryan: Maybe he found it, or maybe he didn’t. Polygon: What is the melting point of an Eternal? it feels like they are intent on bringing him back unless richard madden says no lol Welp, i found another source from the screenwriters about ikaris.

Does icarus die eternals