With the Eternals making their way back to Marvel Comics next month in the form of a relaunch from writer Kieron Gillen and artist Esad Ribic, Gillen has revealed which members of the ancient cosmic race readers can expect to see play a major part in the new series.
"One thing to be aware of is the Eternals aren't really a team. They're a society," the writer said in an exclusive interview with CBR. "So, I'm not in a rush to introduce every Eternal in the [upcoming Marvel Studios] movie." That being said, Gillen explains that "Ikaris is one of our key characters early on. He's probably the most recognizable Eternal of the cast, and he's this fascinating straight-talking person of action."
In addition to Ikaris, Gillen says Sprite -- who was last seen "being murdered by Zuras because he tried to break the machine" -- will also play a key role early in his and Ribic's run. "We reveal of course that all Eternals come back, and he's been languishing in the Eternal prison, the Isolation, ever since. When the book begins, they've finally decided to let Sprite out. We follow them in Issue #1," the writer explained.
"Another important character is Sersi who is smart, rich, and has been an Avenger. So, she knows a lot of humans. There's a certain ennui to her that I like," Gillen continued. "We also have Kingo who is interesting because he's me trying to square an Eternal being who's becoming obsessed with one culture. In the comics, he's obsessed with Japan in a certain period, which is really weird in lots of ways. He also became a movie actor! I can't think that anybody who was a serious samurai would ever become a movie actor. So, he's a playful character, but he's also hyper-competent."
Thena -- who is currently living with the deviants -- will also appear, as will Gilgamesh, aka the Forgotten One, who punishes Eternals when they "get out of line." "He's got other Forgotten with him, and they're basically vigilantes," said Gillen. "They'll make an appearance in Issue #5. I've mentioned Druig who is like a snake. And Zuras is basically the prime Eternal and the major mover of everything. Since a lot of characters have died and come back a lot have chosen to change their bodies. So, there's a lot of gender and body switching. That's just something Eternals do. They've been around for a very, very long time. So, it's not like how it is for us."
Written by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Esad Ribic, Eternals #1 goes on sale Nov. 11 from Marvel Comics.
A feature film starring the eponymous beings set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe was originally slated to arrive this November as well. However, it has been faced delays as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Directed by Chloé Zhao, Marvel Studios' Eternals is currently slated for release on Nov. 5, 2021.