Eternals 2 Theory Suggests How Marvel Can Fix A Phase 5 & 6

Marvel Studios' Eternals 2 hasn't yet been confirmed, but the potential sequel could feature several other superheroes, which can solve huge problems facing the MCU's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. Director Chloé Zhao made her MCU debut with 2021's Eternals, hot on the heels of Academy Award wins with Nomadland. Eternals introduced ten epic new heroes to the MCU, who were revealed to have been living in the background of the action for seven thousand years. Even so, while Eternals expanded on the history of the MCU and developed the titular team's backstory and the mythos surrounding Celestials, the film received a mixed response from critics and audiences alike.

Eternals' mixed reception means that the prospect of a sequel is uncertain, even though the Phase 4 film established some important concepts and left a lot of loose ends that need to be explored in the MCU's future. With the Celestial Tiamut's statue now rising from the ocean, the Celestial Arishem promising to return to judge Earth, Harry Styles' Eros aiding the remaining Eternals, and Dane Whitman potentially wielding the Ebony Blade, the development of Eternals 2 will help to explain some of these storylines. However, the Eternals may not be able to carry the story alone, and one new Eternals 2 theory suggests they won't need to.

Eternals 2 Theory Claims Multiple Avengers Could Appear

A new theory concerning Eternals 2 (via The Direct) suggests that the titular team could be joined by some of the MCU's more established heroes in their potential sequel. This would set up Eternals 2 to be a project akin to Captain America: Civil War, which saw the Avengers come together outside of a typical Avengers film. This would perhaps help solve criticisms that Eternals felt disconnected from the wider world of the MCU and would allow the team to finally introduce themselves to some of the franchise's more well-known heroes ahead of Phase 6's crossover films, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.

It's posed that Thor could join the Eternals in their next MCU adventure, particularly after the poor reception to his most recent MCU appearance, Thor: Love and Thunder. It's possible he won't be gifted another sequel, so integrating the space-faring Thor into the cosmic Eternals' story makes sense. This is also the case for Captain Marvel, whose otherworldly adventures may bring her into contact with the Eternals aboard the Domo. Thanos may also make his return to the MCU in Eternals 2, as Eros was introduced as the Mad Titan's brother in Eternals, while Nick Fury, White Vision, and even Uatu, the Watcher have been suggested for the team-up sequel.

Marvel's Multiverse Saga Won't Have An Avengers Team-Up Until Kang Dynasty

Should Eternals 2 release prior to Phase 6's crossover films and include several other high-profile superheroes from the MCU, this would ease the responsibilities of the upcoming Avengers projects. Currently, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is carrying the onus of being the first Avengers-level project of the MCU's Multiverse Saga, so it has a lot of work to do to form the new Avengers team and showcase their epic battle against Kang the Conqueror and the Council of Kangs. Eternals 2 featuring several members of the previous Avengers team could help to bridge this gap and could lead to members of the Eternals joining the Avengers in the MCU's Phase 6.

Eternals 2 Including Multiple Avengers Fixes The Lack Of Team-Ups In Phase 5 & 6

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While the Avengers may not be teaming up in the Multiverse Saga before The Kang Dynasty, Phase 5's Thunderbolts will deliver the first crossover film in the MCU since Avengers: Endgame. The fact that the MCU Phases 4 and 5 lack any Avengers films has been a criticism of Marvel Studios' plan since the slates were first announced and has become a much more prevalent issue as the MCU's projects have been released. Many new heroes have been introduced to the MCU in Phases 4 and 5, but none of them have had the chance to interact with each other, leading to a massive feeling of disconnection in the Multiverse Saga.

Thunderbolts is currently the only chance in the MCU's Multiverse Saga for a team of heroes to build relationships, and it's a shame that the same chance hasn't been given to the Avengers. It's highly unlikely that any members of the Eternals will show up in Thunderbolts, or vice versa, as the Phase 5 film is expected to be a much smaller-scale, potentially street-level project, focusing primarily on the team's antiheroes. This means that Eternals 2 could be the first opportunity for Marvel Studios to reintroduce several members of the Avengers prior to The Kang Dynasty, that is, if Eternals 2 is actually put into development and released before 2026.