Marvel's Eternals first reactions: get ready for a 'spectacularly weird' MCU movie

The cast of Marvel's Eternals movie including Richard Madden, Salma Hayek and Gemma Chan
(Image credit: Disney/Marvel Studios)

Of all the Marvel movies coming in Phase 4 of the MCU, Marvel's Eternals has been the hardest to nail down. Focused on a group of god-like beings who have lived on Earth in secret for many years, it's hard to watch the trailers and know exactly what their unique selling point is as a superhero group – the marketing is instead leaning into the movie's dazzling ensemble cast, its cosmic-level stakes and director Chloé Zhao's eye for a beautiful shot.

Now, though, the first reactions are in for the film following its world premiere in the US. TechRadar is also seeing the film imminently, and you can expect a full review closer to release – but to tide you over until then, here are some of the first reactions to the film from across social media.

It's worth saying that these reactions are almost always positive, coming out of any Marvel movie, so it's worth waiting until reviews land before making your mind up (just see the positive notices for Ant-Man and the Wasp from 2018, which was clearly a lesser MCU movie). But they do offer more of a hint at the shape of the film, which is described as the "most different" MCU flick, as well as "spectacularly weird".

Let's get started, with a notice calling the film 'massive' but 'down-to-earth' at the same time:

There's praise for the cinematography of Ben Davis, who has previously worked on the Marvel movies Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel. 

Rotten Tomatoes' Erik Davis praises the film as "soulful and thoughtful", which aren't the kind of adjectives you usually associate with an MCU blockbuster.

It's long been rumored that this film will be enormously important to the MCU's future – and it sounds like the post-credits will be worth sticking around for once again.

Expect a movie that defies categorization – THR's Aaron Couch suggests this film is nothing like past MCU efforts, which is self-evident from the trailers released to date.

Here's another positive notice for the movie's post-credits sequences, which seemed to drive the premiere audience wild:

Interestingly, a couple of critics compare the movie to DC's films – not in a negative way.

Menzel notes in a follow-up tweet, however, that the story structure in the film is "bloated and convoluted". Hooray, some criticism!

We'd advise a bit of caution in seeking out further reactions yourself – a couple of potential spoilers are doing the rounds for this movie from critics, which seems like poor form, considering the public hasn't seen it yet. You don't have long to wait until Marvel's Eternals gets here: it's releasing in theaters on November 5, 2021. 

Samuel Roberts

Samuel is a PR Manager at game developer Frontier. Formerly TechRadar's Senior Entertainment Editor, he's an expert in Marvel, Star Wars, Netflix shows and general streaming stuff. Before his stint at TechRadar, he spent six years at PC Gamer. Samuel is also the co-host of the popular Back Page podcast, in which he details the trials and tribulations of being a games magazine editor – and attempts to justify his impulsive eBay games buying binges.

Read more
The Thing, Sue Storm, Reed Richards, and Johnny Storm wearing blue and white spacesuits in The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Fantastic Four: First Steps: release date, trailer, confirmed cast, plot synopsis, and more news about the Marvel movie
The Thing, Sue Storm, Reed Richards, and Johnny Storm wearing blue and white spacesuits in The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer has achieved lift-off as Marvel reveals first-looks at its iconic First Family, Galactus, and John Malkovich's mystery character
Red Guardian, Ghost, Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, and US agent stand in an elevator in Marvel's Thunderbolts film
Marvel's Thunderbolts movie: release date, trailers, confirmed cast, story synopsis, and more news and rumors
Joaquin Torres and Sam Wilson running on a warship in Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World: release date, trailer, confirmed cast, plot synopsis, and more news and rumors about the Marvel movie
Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson standing in a compound's courtyard in Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World does its best to fly high, but the first Marvel movie of 2025 is the titular hero’s worst solo film so far
Sam Wilson holding Captain America's shield in front of a truck at night in Captain America: Brave New World
'Our goal is to make the best movie possible': Captain America: Brave New World director and producer address the Marvel film's extensive reshoots and poor test screening rumors
Latest in Disney Plus
Diego Luna looks questioningly at the back of someone's head as Cassian Andor in the show Andor
Disney+ is making Andor free to stream on YouTube, and now you have no excuse not to watch the best Star Wars show
Matt Murdock and Kirsten McDuffie standing in a court room in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again episode 3 contains another Marvel reference to Spider-Man, but it's got nothing to do with Tom Holland's Peter Parker
Hector Ayala sitting on a bed as he wears his White Tiger costume in Daredevil: Born Again season 1
Daredevil: Born Again episode 3's shocking White Tiger moment just set the stage for The Punisher's debut in the Marvel TV show, and I can't wait for it to happen
Mufasa is joined by another lion, a monkey and a bird in this promotional image
Mufasa: The Lion King prowls onto Disney+ as it finally gets a streaming release date
A costumed Matt Murdock smiles at someone off-camera in Netflix's Daredevil TV show
Daredevil: Born Again is Disney+'s biggest series of 2025 so far, but another Marvel TV show has performed even better
Matt Murdock holding a phone to his right ear in a prison in Daredevil: Born Again episode 2
What time is Daredevil: Born Again episode 3 going to be released on Disney+?
Latest in News
Brad Pitt looks over his right shoulder with 'F1' written behind him
Apple Original Films will take you behind-the-scenes of a racing cockpit in new thrilling F1 trailer
Reacher looking down at another character from the Prime Video TV series Reacher
Reacher season 3 becomes Prime Video’s biggest returning show thanks to Hollywood’s biggest heavyweight
Image showing detail of the Leica D-Lux 8
Still can't get a Fujifilm X100VI? This premium Leica compact costs less, and it's in stock
Man using iMessage on an iPhone
Apple will finally enable encrypted RCS messages between iOS and Android, and it's about time
Google Messages update
Google Messages could soon follow WhatsApp with an upgrade that makes it much easier to join group chats
Jason Sudeikis' Ted Lasso pointing at someone in Ted Lasso season 2
Believe it, baby: Ted Lasso season 4 is officially in development for Apple TV+ and Jason Sudeikis will reprise his role as the titular soccer coach