So last week I based this column about how great it was going to be to finally go into a MCU movie without already having any preconceived notions about the characters based on their comic book counterparts.
Technically, that happened. I watched "The Eternals" this weekend with virtually no advanced knowledge of who they were, thus preventing me from spending the entire movie comparing it to the comic book source material.
However, what I didn't realize going in, is that the titular Eternals aren't exactly original characters to begin with. These immortal metahumans are largely inspired by real-world mythological figures.
Some of them more obscure than others. The transmutating "Sersi," flying "Ikaris," and warrior goddess "Thena" all have pretty obvious roots in Greek mythology.
I will admit it took me way too long to realize that the speedster Makkari was based on the Roman god Mercury.
And, of course, "Gilgamesh" doesn't even try for an alternate spelling or pronunciation. He is unabashedly based on the ancient Sumerian hero-king, which I suppose would literally make him the MCU's earliest recorded superhero.
I'm a big fan of Gilgamesh. Sure, I may be about a few thousand years late to the party, but his epic still holds up to this day as some compelling storytelling.
Which means that, even in "The Eternals," I still found myself comparing the characters to some pre-established ideas about who they are and what they're about.
I finally get to go into a comic book movie where I can't compare them to their comic book counterparts and I end up comparing them to their real-world mythological inspirations instead.
I just can't catch a break. Nevertheless, I'm curious to see how Marvel's Eternals impact other potential characters that could pop up in the MCU.
After all, it's not uncommon to have a fictional universe where well known mythological pantheons turn out to be super advanced aliens that are wildly different from expectations. It is, however, somewhat problematic when that setting also has its own magic deities running around.
How does the MCU ever introduce Hercules when a healthy chunk of his extended family has now been established to be made up of immortal androids from outer space?
I presume if Olympians are ever introduced into the MCU, they'll be treated much like Thor and his Asgardian kin, who have for a long time split the difference between deity and super advanced alien where it's convenient. But now we have a third option with The Eternals, which Marvel Studios has promised we'll see more of.
I hope we do. I wasn't expecting it, but "The Eternals" turned out to be my favorite film of Phase 4 thus far. Not that the bar was super high on that regard, but I enjoyed the movie, enjoyed the characters, and can't wait to see more of their corner of the universe.
Travis Fischer is a news writer for Mid-America Publishing and will definitely know more about the comic book characters by the time a sequel is put out.
