Two 'Equally Important' Eternals Credits Scenes Teased By Director Chloe Zhao
Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe promises to be a gamechanger for the superhero saga, launching us into a new era of Marvel heroes. After the emotional closer of "Avengers: Endgame" and all that the Infinity Saga put us through, amping things up will be quite a task for the next wave of movies and shows. So far, things are looking promising, and very much delving into new territory with all the time-bending, multiverse insanity of "Wandavision," "Loki," and soon enough, "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Another major shift to the MCU comes in the form of Academy Award Winner Chloé Zhao's upcoming "Eternals."
Zhao's MCU debut sees a team of immortal beings reuniting to face off against a new evil. Though their story starts far off in the past, long before the typical staple heroes from these movies were even born, "Eternals" is said to have huge implications for the future of the MCU. And what's Marvel's favorite way of setting up the future? You guessed it! They will once again show off how much power the MCU has on the masses by forcing theatergoers to remain seated through the credits in the hopes of seeing some tiny nugget of what's to come.
Zhao recently told Fandango that "Eternals" will keep the tradition going; when asked if anything special would be waiting after the credits, Zhao said "Yes!" and went on to add:
"Don't just stay for the first one — also stay for the second one, too. They are equally as important in weight, and both have big surprises for you."
Two end credits scenes is nothing new for real Marvel aficionados. Honestly, 26 movies in, it also shouldn't be anything new to the general public. And still, we all watch in disappointment as the credits roll and some people immediately exit the theater. Even more painful is watching them leave after the mid-credits scene has played, oblivious to the fact that another awaits. Hopefully they've learned their lesson by now, especially with Zhao's promise of "big surprises."
The Eternal's Post Credits Scene
Let's be honest, the post-credits scenes can be a a mixed bag: sometimes they land with world-altering implications for the MCU or an actual glimpse of what's in the future. But other times, it's just an alien cat coughing up an infinity stone or, worse, Captain America mocking us for waiting. It's all in good fun, but deep down all we want is something comparable to Nick Fury emerging from the shadows to greet Tony Stark. Or at the very least, the Avengers sleepily chowing down on shawarma.
So what could be waiting at the end of "Eternals"? There's so much ahead in the MCU that speculating will get us nowhere... but why not try? Following in the footsteps of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," this intro to the "Eternals" could end with a promise of their return. This kind of post-credits scene is rarely insightful and usually just states the obvious (this character we spent two hours introducing will indeed be back!) but it's always satisfying to see the newbies interact with a Marvel veteran. Perhaps they'll encounter a familiar face. Maybe Wong will reprise his role as the new Nick Fury of the MCU.
Another possibility is sidestepping the Eternals to set up something tangentially related to their existence. We know for a fact that Marvel has plans for the X-Men now that the film rights to the characters have been reacquired. Plus, the Eternals and their creators, the Celestials, have a history deeply entwined with Earth's mutants — this could be the perfect place to finally set-up for the forthcoming X-Men projects. Or, going in a completely different direction, maybe we'll see a glimpse of Blade or the Fantastic Four. Perhaps the Eternals will encounter Thor, on his love and thundering adventures...
Or maybe it'll just be Jeremy Renner, reminding us not to let that Disney+ subscription lapse, since "Hawkeye" is on the way.