‘Eternals’ is not a bad movie, but it does take the MCU in a new, weird direction

Posted on November 12, 2021

By MARK VIOLA

Since 2008’s “Iron Man,” the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has grown to encompass 26 films, ranging in genre and tone from the Shakespearean-esque “Thor” and the period war film “Captain America: The First Avenger” to the sci-fi comedy “Guardians of the Galaxy” and the spy thriller “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

However, while the particulars have varied, the films have not ranged too far from the winning formula, something that has garnered some criticism from those who claim “superhero fatigue.” I, myself, am not one of them.

However, I was still intrigued when the early buzz surrounding the latest MCU film, “Eternals,” directed by Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”) and boasting a star-studded cast, because it was apparently going to be something quite different from what we had been given until now.

When the initial wave of positive buzz quickly turned into one of the most mixed receptions of any MCU film so far, it was hard to ignore, despite my efforts to go into the movie as blindly as possible.

Having seen the movie, I can say it is by no means the worst MCU movie to date, as I have seen some people declare, but it is also not the best. What it is, however, is a solid film that is indeed something decidedly different from any MCU movie to date, and because of those differences, it might not appeal to all of the usual MCU fans.

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