Fanart of current and future franchises are all over the internet nowadays. With the right amount of detail and dedication by the artists, their fan art can look as compelling and authentic as the real deal, but what digital artist Yadvender Singh Rana posted on his Instagram account for the characters of Marvel Studios' 2021 film Eternals is on another level. While The Eternals is expected to take Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe into a fascinating new territory, they're probably not going to look as cool as Rana's designs for the main characters.
What makes his designs so cool is that these Eternals each have glowing eyes, a cool and intimidating physical trait that displays their incredible power and immortality. In reality, Marvel will most likely give these characters more human traits in order for the audience to relate to them, along with a fair share of humor considering how they did the same for the Thor movies. The background of each design also has a complex display of the galaxy, feeling reminiscent of the aesthetics of Doctor Strange, and each picture has a lot of cosmic energy surrounding the characters' arms and torsos, highlighting how powerful they are.
Game of Thrones star Richard Madden will be playing Ikaris, and he is already a leading man, but this fanart of him in the Eternals' outfit, along with the cosmic elements, cement him as a captivating protagonist. Ikaris already stands out as the Iron Man of The Eternals with this picture alone, and the caption of the post - "My fellow Eternals -- we are at WAR!!" - make him a force to be reckoned with.
Then there is Rana's version of Angelina Jolie as Thena, who looks like a goddess amongst mortals. While Jolie hasn't been in many movies over the past few years, this image is a reminder that she commands the camera with ease, grace, and power.
Then there is fan-favorite Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, and his Eternals' costume and cosmic energy make the comedic Nanjiani just as powerful-looking as the rest of them. Salma Hayek may be the most iconic of them all as Ajak, the spiritual leader of the group. Her blue and gold helmet and accompanying costume show how much respect and prestige she garners.
Brian Tyree Henry is already making history as the MCU's first superhero who is gay, and his shining gold outfit, along with the mysterious, golden ball he holds, further make him legendary. Lauren Ridloff is also making history with Makkari, the first superhero who is deaf in the MCU. Although she isn't showing off her powers like the rest of her peers, her boldly red outfit stands out as one of the Eternals' best costumes. The other Eternals fan art posters for characters like Sersi, Sprite, Gilgamesh, and Druig are equally cool; however, the eternally young Sprite might be the most intimidating with what appears to be intense mind powers around her head.
The way these posters showcase the Eternals' power and awe in a cosmically great way sets the bar high for Marvel, but they are probably a little too bold for the MCU to translate onto the screen. The studio is depending on the Eternals to carry the torch in a post-Endgame world, setting them up to be extremely impactful off the back. Hopefully, director Chloé Zhao and Kevin Feige can make these characters as memorable and captivating as this fan art.
Directed by Chloé Zhao with a screenplay by Matthew and Ryan Firpo, The Eternals stars Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Don Lee as Gilgamesh, Angelina Jolie as Thena, Barry Keoghan as Druig, Gemma Chan as Sersi and Kit Harington as Dane Whitman, aka the Black Knight. The film will premiere in theaters on February 12, 2021.