"Throughout the years, we have never interfered - until now," intones an Eternal superhero in the new trailer for upcoming Marvel film Eternals, leading to a social media meme-fest on why the team of superpowered beings who have lived secretly on Earth for thousands of years did not show up to give the Avengers a helping hand as they took on Thanos. The Eternals - Thena, Ajak, Gilgamesh, Ikaris, Phastos, Sprite, Kingo, Sersi, Makkari and Druig - have helped mankind in technological and other ways and presumably stood by their non-interference policy through famines, epidemics, genocides and two world wars; why should they have engaged with Thanos - himself a lapsed Eternal - as he snapped away half of all life in the universe? "Until now" seems to refer to the Avengers disassembling - Iron Man and Captain America are both gone albeit in different ways.
Towards the end, Sprite (Lia McHugh) asks the gathered Eternals: "Now that Captain Rogers and Iron Man are both gone, who do you think's gonna lead the Avengers?" making it clear that the meeting was held post the events of Avengers: Endgame, in which Captain America (played by Chris Evans) assembled almost all of Earth's superheroes to stop Thanos. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) sacrificed himself to save the universe in the fight against Thanos in Endgame.
However, the Eternals' inaction against Thanos didn't go down well on Twitter which, sensing an opportunity, filled the gap with memes and more.
Here's how Twitter reacted to the Eternals turning a blind eye to the fight against one of their own in Infinity War and Endgame:
The Eternals while Loki invaded earth, Ultron threatened to wipe out the human race and when Thanos snapped away half of the life on the planet #TheEternals pic.twitter.com/hI6DcEvvDm
— Selina (@ECNALHANID) May 24, 2021
they never interfered #Eternals pic.twitter.com/oOBhTxAxpI
— regina phalange (@ilysmcevans) May 24, 2021
*Thanos killing everyone, Iron Man sacrificing himself.
— Dad of Boi (@weapon_xii_) May 25, 2021
The #Eternals: pic.twitter.com/CbmFhdCWGj
The Eternals watching the Avengers fight Loki, Ultron, each other, and then Thanos. #Eternals pic.twitter.com/oUwm8DhHDb
— Quentin Quarantino (@marcuss76) May 25, 2021
The #Eternals watching Thanos whipe half the universe: pic.twitter.com/ndyVgP6fSQ
— Oh Frack! (@OlicityDreams) May 25, 2021
Thanos murders half the avengers
— (@MettleOfMan) May 25, 2021
The Eternals: You're doing great guys. #Eternals #Marvel #MarvelStudio #Avengers
One of the users also asked what most of us are thinking after watching the trailer - "when Thanos snapped... were none of the Eternals affected?"
Soooooo quick question... when Thanos snapped.. were none of the Eternals affected??? #Marvel #Eternals
— T_MK (@TM_MK214) May 25, 2021
Remember when we said that most of the Eternals are related to Thanos? Thanos, the son of Eternals A'Lars and Sui-San is a distant cousin of Thena, Ikaris, Sersi, Ajax, Sprite and Druig, as per the Eternals comics. Referring to Thanos and Eternals' blood relation, a Twitter user wrote: "Maybe that's what they didn't want to help when Thanos came to earth, some family issues."
maybe that's what they didn't want to help when Thanos came to earth some family issues #eternals https://t.co/AkfmzuUB62
— Modupe (@Modupeolunuga) May 25, 2021
How Marvel explains this plot hole will be interesting to watch; meantime, someone on Twitter offered a possible solution:
Dear all the people getting mad at the #Eternals for not helping the #Avengers defeat Thanos. In the trailer most of what they showed are flashbacks. In the present day the Eternals don't remember they're gods. They get awakened in this movie when a Deviant threatens Earth. pic.twitter.com/lBvNz4Dw25
— Siobhan (@slinehan1) May 25, 2021
Eternals, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloe Zhao, features Angelina Jolie as Thena, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Don Lee as Gilgamesh, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Gemma Chan as Sersi, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari and Barry Keoghan as Druig.
