What to watch before Eternals
The only real prerequisite is Avengers: Endgame. Eternals opens in a world that is still adjusting to half of humanity coming back, and a couple of characters bring up the Avengers and the snap directly. You do not need any of the earlier Phase 4 shows to follow it, and the film introduces its own characters, mythology and villains from scratch.
That makes it a decent pick for viewers who drifted away after Endgame and want to try something new. It feels less like a sequel to anything and more like the opening of a separate chapter.
Where it sits in the watch order
On our timeline Eternals lands right after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which matches its release slot too. Its present-day story is set in 2024. Next comes Hawkeye, the Christmas-set series, so you move from a cosmic origin story straight back to the streets of New York. The next film in story order is Spider-Man: No Way Home.
| Before | Eternals | After |
|---|
| Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Phase 4 film, set in 2024 | Hawkeye (series), then Spider-Man: No Way Home |
Our Marvel Phase 4 in order guide shows which titles in this stretch carry the most weight.
Where to watch Eternals
In the US, Eternals streams on Disney Plus. Outside the US, availability varies by country, so check the watch box on this page. At 156 minutes it is one of the longest films in the franchise, so start early or plan a break around the halfway mark.
Eternals explained: who they are and what they want
Ten immortal beings were sent to Earth long ago by a Celestial named Arishem, one of the giant cosmic creators of the Marvel universe. Their job was to protect humans from the Deviants, predatory creatures that hunt people. They were told never to interfere in anything else, which is why they stayed out of wars, empires and even the fight against Thanos.
By the present day the group has drifted apart. Sersi lives quietly in London, Kingo has become a Bollywood star, and others have gone into hiding. Then the Deviants come back, which should be impossible, and Sersi has to find her old family and question what their mission was really for. The film jumps between eras, from ancient Mesopotamia to the Aztec empire, which gives it a different rhythm from most Marvel films.
The big idea to take away is the role of the Celestials. They explain how life in the universe is seeded and why Earth matters to beings far older than Thanos. The ending leaves a physical mark on the planet, and Captain America: Brave New World builds part of its plot around what was left behind.
Is Eternals essential?
We rate it optional. You can skip it if you only want the main Multiverse Saga storyline, and you will not be lost in later Avengers films. Watch it if you are interested in the cosmic side of the universe, or if you want the background for one plot thread in Brave New World. Our Multiverse Saga in order guide marks which titles you can leave out on a shorter route.
Cast and characters
Chloé Zhao directs, and she shot much of the film on real locations, so it looks noticeably different from most of the franchise. Gemma Chan leads as Sersi, the member most attached to humanity. Richard Madden plays Ikaris, the strongest of the group. Angelina Jolie is Thena, a warrior whose mind is slipping, and Salma Hayek Pinault plays Ajak, their leader. Kumail Nanjiani brings most of the humor as Kingo, and Lia McHugh plays Sprite, who is stuck in a child's body forever.
Eternals post-credit scenes explained (spoilers)
Spoiler warning: this section describes both scenes and touches on the ending. Skip it if you have not seen the film.
The mid-credits scene takes place aboard the Eternals' ship. Thena, Druig and Makkari are traveling through space when a newcomer teleports aboard with a chatty sidekick. He introduces himself as Eros, the brother of Thanos, and his companion is Pip the Troll. Eros says he knows what happened to the other Eternals and offers to help find them. It sets up a new cosmic hero with a very loaded family name.
The end-credits scene returns to Earth. Dane Whitman, Sersi's partner in London, opens an old family case holding a cursed sword, the Ebony Blade. As he reaches for it, an unseen voice asks whether he is ready for what comes next. Marvel fans widely read that voice as belonging to Blade, the vampire hunter, which hints at a darker corner of the universe.
Neither thread is required for any title in our order. They are teases, not homework, and you can follow every film that follows without them.
Plan your Phase 4 run
Eternals is the longest stop in this part of the timeline. If you are fitting the whole phase into a schedule, our marathon plan works out how long it takes at your own pace.
