The Celestials’ role in Marvel’s Eternals movie may have been revealed by some strange symbols seem as part of the movie’s logo. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe and in Marvel Comics, the Celestials are towering, immortal cosmic beings with god-like powers.
The Celestials were introduced into the MCU in Guardians of the Galaxy, and one in particular, Ego the Living Planet, was given a much more substantial role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. More members of their race are expected to appear in the upcoming Eternals movie. Directed by Chloe Zhao, Eternals is the second film in Phase 4 of the MCU. The movie is scheduled to be released in November of this year. Filming for The Eternals movie has recently wrapped. Until Marvel announces the rest of the cast - particularly the movie’s villains - or releases a trailer, details on what The Eternals has in store for Marvel fans is limited mostly to the official synopsis and set photos.
What is known is that The Eternals tells the story of a group of alien immortals who have secretly shared the Earth with humanity for thousands of years. Set photos have confirmed that Eternals will be going back in time to at least the time of Babylon, so the movie may end up serving as a history lesson of the MCU. According to the synopsis, the movie will see the Eternals go up against their ancestral enemies, the Deviants, who will be on the receiving end of a major redesign. As for the new logo, it could shed some light on some of the players involved in the story. Here’s what the symbols in the logo could mean.
Marvel Theory: Eternals’ Symbols Represent The Celestials
The new Eternals logo consists of a clock-like shape that contains 17 unidentified symbols. They could simply be characters in an all-new language original to the MCU, or each one could represent someone or something present in the movie. One possibility that’s been raised by fans is the idea that each symbol represents a specific Eternal. There being only 17 Eternals in the MCU is possible, but it should be pointed out that the Eternals are an entire race, and not just small group, so the Eternals featured in the movie are unlikely to be the MCU’s only Eternals. There are many that may only be background characters, which is quite similar to how the comics have used the Eternals in the past. An alternative explanation is that the symbols represent the Celestials, the aliens who created the Eternals and the Deviants in the first place.
The Celestials could easily be quite limited in number. Exactly how many Celestials are in existence is difficult to determine, but the MCU could establish that 17 Celestials have existed in the MCU at one point or another. That number could even include the dead Celestial from Guardians of the Galaxy and Ego the Living Planet. Such a small number wouldn’t diminish their reputation in any way, considering that the Celestials are the most powerful beings in the universe.
Which Celestials The Symbols Could Be For
The Celestials aren’t just a race of nameless, giant beings who roam the cosmos. Each has their unique identity, design, title, and purpose. For instance, Jemiah the Analyzer studies samples of various organisms, Tefral the Surveyor examines the geography of the planets they come across, Arishem the Judge determines which worlds live and which ones perish, and Exitar the Exterminator destroys the civilizations deemed unworthy of living. Every Celestial has a different pattern on their body, and the style of these patterns have much in common with the symbols in the logo. A few of the symbols on the logo can be compared with the Celestials from the comics, even though they don’t match up perfectly. The third symbol from the right could belong to Arishem the Judge, who was a key character in Jack Kirby’s original Eternals comic book series from the 1970s. The fourth symbol resembles certain designs of the emblem on Eson the Searcher’s chest. Eson the Searcher already exists in the MCU, thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy, and is a previous wielder of the Power Stone.
The idea that each Celestial has its own design and pattern doesn’t belong strictly to the comics, as concept art indicates that this aspect of the Celestials has been carried over to the big screen. Artwork of the Celestials revealed at SDCC 2019 shows four very different Celestials walking together. With this in mind, it does seem quite possible that the symbols in the logo could very well represent the MCU’s Celestials.
What The Eternals Logo Means For The Marvel Movie
What would it mean if the symbols do represent the Celestials? It would confirm what many already expect, which is that the Celestials will factor heavily into the story. The presence of the Celestials in concept art already suggested this, but their involvement could go much deeper than just being the creators of the Eternals and the ones who sent them to fight the Deviants. Marvel movies have a tendency to deliver twists when it comes to villains, and based on their nature in the comics, it would make perfect sense for the Celestials to operate as antagonists.
Though there are rogue Celestials, the Celestials as a whole are not evil, but as “Space Gods”, it seems only natural that they would have their own view of the universe, and as cosmic-powered aliens are who are so far above humanity in more ways than one, it may be easy for them to look down on them and all other races as lesser beings. For this reason, Celestials have no problem with playing judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to the fates of the hundreds of civilizations that they encounter (and create) during their travels. The judgment of the Celestials is a concern that the Eternals are faced with periodically, as it’s always possible that the Celestials could decide to wipe them out if they ever had the incrimination. It could be that defeating the Deviants is a condition for the Eternals’ continued existence in the movie. Regardless, it seems likely that the Eternals, much like their comic book counterparts, will have to keep the Celestials pleased, especially since the Celestials are the greatest threat in the entire MCU.
More: Every Way Avengers: Endgame Sets Up Marvel’s Eternals Movie
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