Eternals is the next movie outing for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and looks to expand the universe in a way never seen in the franchise. To do so, viewers will be sent all throughout time to witness some of the most crucial moments in the history of humanity and how these immortal beings influenced them. Although, for now, there are no clear hints at what direction the film will go, a few past MCU films may be able to help.
From trailers and promos, it can be confirmed that the film will have a heavy influence from the Celestials, as they are the beings who brought the Eternals to life. As far as context is concerned, the film is primarily standalone. This means that there shouldn't be any required viewing to understand this film's story. That being said, for new fans wanting context or veteran viewers looking for a refresher, there are some MCU movie that can be watched before the premiere.
Guardians of the Galaxy
2014's Guardians of the Galaxy was the first major cosmic outing for the MCU, as Thor and Thor: The Dark World spent plenty of time on Earth. As such, there was much ground to cover in introducing a new location and the many worlds that inhabit Marvel's cosmic universe. A great way the film introduced the scope of the galaxy was through The Collector. His collection was housed in Knowhere, the massive head of a dead Celestial. These beings would be teased again when the Guardians are shown the destructive power of an Infinity Stone. Though the clip is brief, it shows the being using the Power Stone to decimate an entire planet. The scene gave a glimpse at their level of power, which will be explored further in Eternals.
Avengers: Infinity War
While his first speaking lines were in Guardians of the Galaxy, Thanos would make his grand debut in Avengers: Infinity War. He was a focused, powerful and utterly terrifying enemy who collected and used all of the stones to decimate half of the universe's population. At the time, the character's history was only traced back to his homeworld of Titan, but the comic books reveal that Thanos was actually the son of two Eternals and an inheritor of the Deviant Gene. He is also a distant cousin to the Eternals -- Thena, Ikaris, Sersi, Ajax, Sprite and Druig. While only being part Deviant, the film shows just how powerful his race is compared to the Avengers.
Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame concludes Thanos' story with what's left of Earth's Mightiest Heroes collecting the Infinity Stones to bring back the billions of lives lost. What makes the movie so significant to Eternals is Bruce Banner's snap to bring everyone back. According to the Eternals trailer, his snap provided enough energy to kickstart the Deviant's return in an event being called the Emergence. This, in turn, brings the Eternals out of hiding to prepare for the Emergence.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Spider-Man: Far From Home is the most removed on the required viewing list because it doesn't directly correlate to Eternals. That being said, it does take place around the same time as the film. For fans looking to get the full effect of the events taking place in the universe at this time, Far From Home is a great way to see how one part of the MCU was doing while these new heroes are fighting off the Deviant threat elsewhere. The movie also deals with the aftermath of the losses following Endgame and the return of everyone who disappeared in The Blip.
Eternals will hit theaters Nov. 5.