Eternals leak reveals [spoilers] mysterious new MCU character
Siblings really can be the worst, can't they?
Eternals brings a wide and diverse array of new characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
From Gemma Chan’s Sersi to Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman, the upcoming Marvel Studios film is set to introduce viewers to some powerful new heroes — many of whom have the potential to be major new figures within the MCU in the coming years.
In the case of its titular, immortal group, Eternals will be shining a spotlight on some cosmic characters who, it turns out, have been secretly living on Earth for thousands of years. As a result, Eternals has to not only introduce its central heroes but also explain what they’ve been doing for the past 7,000 years or so.
That’s a lot for any film to try and pull off, but that doesn’t mean Eternals’ focus will be limited to its core cast of characters. Indeed, in true Marvel fashion, it looks like Eternals will be bringing another major comics character into the MCU for the first time.
Major Eternals spoilers ahead.
The Leak — Following the film’s world premiere earlier this week, the internet has been set ablaze with early confirmations and reports revealing that Harry Styles will be making his MCU debut in Eternals as Eros aka Starfox, the brother of Thanos (Josh Brolin). The confirmation comes after months of rumors circulating online saying that Styles had been cast as the Marvel comics character.
Marvel has not revealed other details about Styles’ role in Eternals yet, nor do we know what other MCU titles we should expect to see him in next. Nonetheless, here’s what you need to know about Eros, the MCU’s powerful new cosmic hero.
Eros a.k.a. Starfox floating amongst the stars in Thanos Vol. 2 #7. Published in 2017.
Introducing Starfox — In the comics, Eros is the youngest son of two Eternals, A'Lars and Sui-San, and the brother of Thanos. However, unlike Thanos, who is born deformed and mutated by the Deviant Syndrome, Eros looks like a human. Consequently, Eros (originally named Eron) grows up to be a hedonistic bachelor, while Thanos matures into an ambitious and genocidal warlord.
When Thanos eventually attacks his homeworld, Titan, Eros finally assumes a more responsible role within the Marvel Universe — standing up to his brother and operating alongside Captain Mar-Vell and the Avengers in their fight against the Mad Titan. However, after the heroes emerge from that conflict as the victors, Eros returns to his carefree lifestyle and begins a quest to pursue pleasure throughout the entire universe.
The character becomes an on-again, off-again member of the Avengers, where he is given the moniker “Starfox.” But while he has played a vital role in helping the Avengers defeat several powerful villains over the years, Starfox has always alternated between maintaining a responsibility-free, self-indulgent lifestyle and being an active protector of the universe.
To put it a little more simply: Eros is a mighty Eternal who spends his days either fighting injustice or going on pleasure cruises throughout the galaxy. He’s essentially a cosmic rock star, which makes Harry Styles a fitting choice to play him — even if it’s still unclear what exactly Eros’ role in the MCU will be in the coming years.
Harry Styles will appear as Eros in Marvel’s Eternals.
The Inverse Analysis — On paper, introducing the brother of Thanos is an undeniably big twist on the part of Marvel Studios, one with the power to, once again, fundamentally redefine the established power structure within the MCU.
However, casual MCU viewers will likely be surprised by who Eros actually is — a powerful but fun-loving Eternal who ultimately has very little in common physically or philosophically with his biological brother.
In other words, the MCU’s lineup of cosmic heroes just got a whole lot more interesting.
Eternals hits theaters on November 5.
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