Who are the Eternals? Get to know the Marvel Cinematic Universe's newest heroes

The Eternals are not rather people, not rather gods (though humans often mistake them for gods, which annoys the abstraction deities who created them and the Greek gods for which a fewer of the Eternals are named). Though they each person unsocial powers, they're each skilled warriors with super-strength, velocity and agility.

The heroes are mostly immortal -- adjacent if their bodies are destroyed, they tin unrecorded connected successful different ways. But they support their powers concealed since they unrecorded among humans.

They were sent to Earth by the Celestials, an past radical of godlike beings, immoderate 7,000 years earlier the events of the movie to support humankind against the Deviants, mutant monsters besides created by the Celestials erstwhile immoderate tests connected aboriginal Earth-dwellers went awry. The Eternals are advised against interfering successful non-Deviant business, alternatively acting arsenic specified spectators to quality struggle unless Deviants are involved.

While the Eternals person obeyed the Celestials until now, they're yet starting to question their ngo and the beings who created them.

Like astir protagonists successful the Marvel Cinematic Universe who person gotten their ain root stories, the Eternals astir apt don't fancy themselves superheroes. But by the film's end, aft they've undergone assorted transformations and vanquish assorted foes, they'll apt beryllium among the astir almighty heroes successful the MCU, and maybe, the MCM -- the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse.

Meet Marvel's 10 Eternals

Ikaris

Played by: Richard Madden

In the comics, the Eternals are often led by Ikaris, usually portrayed arsenic a blond-haired, blue-eyed muscleman reminiscent of He-Man but with laser eyes. In immoderate comics appearances, he's been named the Prime Eternal, oregon the Eternal who rules implicit the rest.

Powers: Laser-beam eyes. You sanction it, Ikaris tin astir apt bash it. He tin alert astatine speeds up to 850 miles per hour, creates convincing illusions and shoots laser beams retired of his eyes, among many different abilities.

Who knew? In the comics, erstwhile he's successful disguise arsenic a human, helium goes by the sanction "Ike Harris." Ikaris is decidedly 1 of the brawniest Eternals, but creative, helium is not.

Sersi

Played by: Gemma Chan

If it's Ikaris who typically runs the Eternals successful the comics sphere, Sersi is its heart. She's thing of a historiographer of humankind, having had a first-row spot to events similar the autumn of Rome and the French Revolution, per Marvel. You'll often find Sersi successful green, a nod, perhaps, to her heavy emotion and appreciation of the Earth and its inhabitants. She's besides had a centuries-long, on-and-off narration with chap Eternal, Ikaris.

Powers: Matter transmutation. Basically, she tin change substance into immoderate signifier she chooses (remember successful the "Eternals" trailer, erstwhile she appears to dissolve a treble decker autobus into a parade of petals?).

Who knew? In the comics, Sersi joined the Avengers for a spell. Though she aboriginal discontinue the radical full-time, she sometimes inactive helps them retired erstwhile they request a manus from a godlike hero.

Sprite

Played by: Lia McHugh

Sprite is arsenic mischievous arsenic her sanction suggests. Though she's conscionable arsenic aged arsenic her counterparts, she has the quality of a perpetual preteen, which she uses to her vantage -- 1 comics tally saw her starring successful her ain teen sitcom. Her naivety tin besides beryllium disastrous, though: In 1 series, the Sprite "altered world connected a cosmic scale," according to Marvel. Sprite has besides been written arsenic antheral successful the comics for overmuch of the character's run.

Powers: Illusions. The group's "grandiose storyteller," Sprite casts lifelike mirages and tin teleport herself if needed.

Who knew? She was once, according to Marvel, a thorn successful the broadside of William Shakespeare, inspiring the Bard's quality "Puck" in "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Phastos

Played by: Brian Tyree Henry

The inventor of the radical and a sworn pacifist, Phastos is besides the archetypal out, cheery superhero successful the MCU. (While Marvel comics diagnostic a fig of queer characters, lone a fewer different characters -- including Valkyrie and Loki -- person been suggested, though not confirmed, to be queer onscreen.) Based connected the film's trailers, he's besides a frugal location decorator with a penchant for Ikea and sarcasm.

Powers: Invention and "technopathy." If Phastos tin spot thing successful his mind's eye, helium tin marque it existent -- helium has the quality to conjure up weapons and different inventions with small much than a thought.

Who knew? At 1 constituent successful the comics, helium took the codename "Ceasefire" -- a motion to his stance against war. (No 1 archer him he's a superhero created to wage warfare against monsters!)

Thena

Played by: Angelina Jolie

It's nary coincidence that Thena's sanction is truthful akin to that of the Greek goddess of warfare -- according to Marvel, Thena is "more comfy successful conflict than anyplace else." Like Phastos, she tin conjure weapons with her mind, though she takes pleasance successful wielding them and unleashing cosmic, PG-13 carnage.

Powers: Superhuman sparring. She's incredibly quick, strong, reflexive -- a astir unbeatable warrior.

Who knew? In the comics, she erstwhile had a dalliance with a Deviant person named Kro, and their tumultuous narration has hindered some the Eternals and their foes.

Ajak

Played by: Salma Hayek

Though successful the comics, Ajak is portrayed arsenic male, Hayek said she sees her quality arsenic a maternal figure, a "spiritual leader" of sorts who connects with each of them adjacent erstwhile they're astatine likelihood and keeps the radical connected course.

Powers: Healing. Ajak heals some humans and Eternals, and she's 1 of the fewer to person nonstop interaction with the Celestials to person updates connected their mission.

Who knew? In the comics, Ajak is "brilliant archaeologist and skilled wrestler," Marvel says. Even godlike heroes request hobbies.

Makkari

Played by: Lauren Ridloff

The velocity runner Makkari has dashed each astir the satellite and is, frankly, bored by what she's found. In the film, the Eternals inquire her to enactment speech her boredom for a fewer days to assistance them decision the Deviants and prevention the satellite truthful she tin traverse different planets.

Powers: Super speed. Quicksilver who? Makkari is the "fastest pistillate successful the universe," Marvel says.

Kingo

Played by: Kumail Nanjiani

While galore of the different Eternals elected to unrecorded anonymously among humankind, Kingo became a movie prima (in the comics, he's an histrion known for Japanese samurai films; successful the film, he's a Bollywood performer).

Powers: Fighting successful style. Kingo tin bash what fundamentally each Eternal tin bash -- footwear butt with small effort, though helium prefers to fend disconnected foes with the panache of a starring man. He has the ego of one, too.

Who knew? Kingo seemingly fashions himself the prima of the Eternals. Thena and Ikaris would similar a word.

Gilgamesh

Played by: Don Lee

The strongest Eternal and Thena's partner, Gilgamesh is simply a fearsome warrior but besides a beauteous bully guy, according to Marvel.

Powers: Indomitable strength. In battle, Gilgamesh employs a aureate "exoskeleton" that protects his arms and fists and delivers devastating blows to enemies.

Who knew? In the comics, helium was known arsenic "the Forgotten One" due to the fact that helium wasn't alert helium was an Eternal for galore years.

Druig

Played by: Barry Keoghan

There's a acheronian to Druig that the different Eternals lack. In the comics, he's often prized his ain occurrence supra the occurrence of the Eternals and their ngo to support humans, which has made him dangerous. (Also successful the comics, he's been drawn to lucifer a vampire of sorts.)

Powers: Mind control. Druig tin spot into humans' minds and exploit their vulnerabilities. Yikes!

Who knew? Druig isolates himself from the different Eternals owed to his, er, opposing presumption of however to unrecorded alongside humans, per Marvel.

Bonus hero: Dane Whitman

Played by: Kit Harington

OK, so, Whitman isn't a subordinate of the Eternals, but helium is Sersi's regular quality fellow successful the film. He whitethorn play a larger, much heroic relation successful upcoming Marvel projects, though thing has been confirmed. We won't spell into the finer details of his comic publication history, but for readers who don't caput spoilers, Marvel has an expansive biography.