In a recent interview with CBR, Kieron Gillen, writer of the upcoming Eternals comic book series, talked about how the group differs from the "actual" gods of the Marvel Universe.
Debuting in the late '70s from the mind of Jack Kirby, Gillen noted that the team was originally intended to be separate from the greater Marvel Universe but was folded into that continuity later. The characters were also designed to hearken back to myths and legends of old, and were often mistaken for the gods of various pantheons, though their names are drawn mainly from Greek and Roman myths (Thena = Athena, Makkari = Mercury, Ikaris = Icarus). But, as Gillen said, "[t]hey're in a universe where they're often described as gods, but that job is already 'taken.'"
Rather than attempting to fit yet another pantheon of gods in the Marvel Universe, Gillen focused instead on the actual name of the group, The Eternals. "Eternal doesn't mean living forever. It means unchanging," said the writer. Further, he suggested that the Eternals are actually eternal. Instead of there being generations of individuals, Gillen claimed "[t]here's only ever been a hundred of them... they get rebooted often, but they've always been. They've just been in stasis. There’s familial relationships, but they’re static family relationships. Each reset allows them to change bodies or looks, but fundamentally there's only ever been a hundred Eternals." Gillen wants to set this unchanging nature in direct contrast with the Eternals' nemeses, the Deviants, who are a constantly changing "demonic" species.
The writer also spoke of giving the Eternals "their own niche," moving them away from ersatz gods and more into a role suited, and designed, just for their species. He went on to outline the idea that, rather than gods, the Eternals can instead be considered angels, created by the actual space gods, the Celestials, who left them on Earth. And if the group was set on Earth by the Celestials to protect humankind, and mistaken through history as gods, just what are the dangers, aside from the Deviants, with which the group must contend?
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 faced delays as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Marvel Studios' Eternals is currently slated for release on Nov. 5, 2021.
Written by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Esad Ribic, Eternals #1 goes on sale Nov. 11 from Marvel Comics.