On November 5, Marvel's third feature film of 2021 hits theatres. The much-anticipated THE ETERNALS is still a pretty mysterious property. Unlike BLACK WIDOW, which starred a character we’re already familiar with, and SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, which only had one new character to introduce, THE ETERNALS gets to teach audiences about a whole new race of superheroes.
To help make sure you know who is who, let’s have a look at each Eternal and their individual powers.
Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani)
Kingo likes to use his hands. Not to beat people up, but to shoot blasts of cosmic rays. On top of that, his character blends in with humanity by becoming a famous Bollywood actor, so showboating might be one of his superpowers as well.
Ajak (Salma Hayek)
Ajak serves as the leader of the Eternals; she's sort of a maternal figure to the group. She provides a link between the team and the Celestials, which are god-like creatures in the MCU. She also has the power to heal others.
Ikaris (Richard Madden)
A little jaded by his long time with humanity, Ikaris can fly and shoot lasers out of his eyeballs. Attitude problem aside, he’s basically the Superman of the group, which might be one reason he’s all over the film’s cool trailer.
Thena (Angelina Jolie)
Thena is a total powerhouse, described as an elite warrior. Fitting that description, she can create basically any weapon she wants out of cosmic energy. So if she wants to fight you with a big knife, she can. Medium knife, no problem. A tiny, secret knife? She can do that, too.
Sprite (Lia McHugh)
Despite being thousands of years old, Sprite has the form of a child. But unlike most children (we hope) Sprite also has the ability to project illusions. She's another Loki-esque trickster for the team.
Gilgamesh (Don Lee)
Every team needs a tank, and that’s Gilgamesh’s role. He’s essentially the strongest of the Eternals. No weapons, just brute strength. That said, having the infinite charm of Don Lee probably helps as well.
Makkari (Lauren Ridloff)
The MCU's first major speedster (Pietro Maximoff, brother of the Scarlet Witch) was killed off way back in AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON. Luckily, it now has another. This is to say that Makkari’s main power is the ability to run at super speeds.
Druig (Barry Keoghan)
There’s often something a little untrustworthy about characters played by Barry Keoghan. So it’s fitting that his character, Druig, is gifted with the power to manipulate the minds of others. In terms of powers, he edges into Loki territory.
Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry)
He's essentially the Donatello of the group, or to keep things in the MCU, the Shuri of the Eternals. Phastos is all about machines. He invents things, makes cool weapons, and probably supplies a little comic relief while he’s at it.
Dane (Kit Harrington)
Dane is… oh wait, Dane is just some guy. He’s not an Eternal at all. But hey, being played by Kit Harrington is kind of a superpower on its own.
Sersi (Gemma Chan)
Sersi is probably the Eternal with the biggest bleeding heart for us poor humans. And it appears THE ETERNALS will be her story even as it presents the entire team. As for her powers, she can manipulate inanimate matter. Which is maybe the wildest of all these powers if you stop and consider its implications.
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All images courtesy of Marvel Studios.