You Might Not See 'Eternals' on Disney Plus Anytime Soon — Here's Why
Published Sept. 10 2021, 2:10 p.m. ET
Another day, another Marvel movie to obsess over. At least, that's how it feels. We got Black Widow in July 2021 only to get Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings shortly thereafer, and let's not forget that the first season of Loki also ended pretty recently. Next in line is Eternals, which will help us understand this race of beings new to the MCU.
Fans are looking forward to watching Eternals on the big screen, but when will the movie be released on Disney Plus? Considering that Shang-Chi did so well in theaters without being put on the platform, they may not even get that option until much later after its debut. Here's what we know.
When will 'Eternals' be on Disney Plus?
According to a report from Variety, insiders at Disney say that Eternals will be exclusive to theaters when it first comes out on Nov. 5, 2021. But we also know, thanks to Disney CEO Bob Chapek, that Shang-Chi will drop on Disney Plus on Oct. 18, 2021. This is 45 days after its release in theaters, and Eternals could get the same treatment. As it turns out, Eternals' fate was largely dependent on Shang-Chi's box office numbers.
According to Vulture, Marvel was waiting to see how Shang-Chi would do in theaters before deciding on what to do with Eternals. And because the movie starring Simu Liu has done so well, they may also give this upcoming film a 45-day waiting period between its theatrical release and the Disney Plus drop. For now, there's no confirmed date for when audiences can expect to stream the movie at home.
Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has also said that he would prefer to have Eternals go to theaters exclusively for the premiere. "I think a theater would be my preference and [Eternals director] Chloe [Zhao's] preference," he told Variety. "We will see where we go with it."
Are the Eternals good or bad?
In general, the Eternals are good guys. When the Earth was just beginning to sustain life in the Marvel universe, the Celestials created Eternals and Deviants to inhabit it alongside a mutation for humanity's DNA. This is how we get X-Men. While Deviants were looking to destroy the planet, the Eternals were looking for ways to save it and keep the peace. But this could be hard to believe if you've watched movies in the MCU thus far.
Some may ask themselves: If the Eternals are so good and want to keep the Earth safe, why are they just showing up in the MCU now? Did they even bother to get involved during Infinity War? It turns out that they would have, but in an Eternals trailer, an Eternal says they were told not to get involved unless Deviants were causing the problem.
It can be argued that Thanos is a Deviant even though his parents are Eternals. His appearance is so different from the rest of his people that he's pretty much always felt like an outcast and might as well have been a Deviant. But this situation didn't seem to warrant the Eternals to get involved and so The Avengers and their allies faced the threat head-on and won.
