Summary
As Kevin Feige and the rest of Marvel keep moving through their plans for theMCUin the near and distant future, there are things that are known and things are remain unknown. Sometimes there are items that are known by Feige that aren’t public yet, and sometimes not even Feige knows exactly where theMCUis going after its next phase. Trying to keep as much of their unannounced plans under wrap as possible, without sending a message one way or the other to the fanbase is something Feige specifically has mastered.
He displayed those skills yet again earlier this fall when he made an appearance at D23 Brazil and shed a bit of light onwhat Disney has plannedfor the near future while also at least discussing some items that could be further into the future. Because Feige is intentionally vague when talking about projects that haven’t been announced, there is a chance that people will take what he says one way, while others take it another. But what seems clear from his comments at D23 Brazil is that while Marvel isn’t totally killing off two IPs his comments shouldn’t breed much confidence. And ifEternalsandThe Inhumansare being left in the past as it appears, then it is the right call, on both.
Marvel Has To Let The Eternals & Inhumans Go
During his presentation in Brazil, Feige was specifically asked aboutboth theEternalsandThe Inhumansand there are at least some people who think the comments were hopeful and meant that he still has plans for both at some point.
Feige addressed whether fanswould see eitherIP eventually return to the MCU, considering that neither of the previous projects were well-received critically or commercially. Feige first admitted that there was definitely a poor reception for 2021’sEternals, the Marvel chief admitted that he was “very proud of that movie.” When talking about the rather high-powered ensemble cast that included big names like Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Barry Keoghan, Salma Hayek, and Kumail Nanjiani, he made it clear that that Marvel would “be lucky to get any of them at some point.”
That comment alone should probably be taken as a sign that Feige isn’t all that hopeful all, or even most of those names would be willing to come back for anEternals 2, especially considering how the movie wasn’t aremote commercial or critical success.
While there are some who are still hopeful thatThe Inhumanswill also make a comeback, despite how poorly received and short-lived the TV show was, the door seems far less open than it does with theEternals. While he did say some nice things about the show, it almost felt as though he was hinting that MCU fans already got what they were going to get with Black Bolt’s cameo inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. As for the rest of Black Bolt’s compatriots, the Marvel chief only said, “We’ll see where, if, and when they return.”
No MCU Mesh Exists
It’s not just thatEternalswasn’t a critical or financial darlingwhen talking about whether or not it will ever make a return. There simply isn’t an easy way to mesh the story of that team into where the MCU is currently sitting. It might have been easier before the finalGuardians of the Galaxymovies those stories delt with the same kind of space travel and space operas that anotherEternalsmovie could offer.
However, more Avengers movies and even the Secret Wars films just dont' seem to offer much in the way of anentry point for either theEternalsorThe Inhumans. Though the Secret Wars does seem more likely to offer another glimpse of Black Bolt and his crew, should Marvel want to go there.
Best Left In MCU’s Past
Make no mistake about it, people are going to read into Feige’s comments what they want. Some will believe he was being coy and really wants to bring both teams back in the future. Just far enough in the future that he can’t talk about it yet. On the other hand, his comments were far more specific about characterslike Miles Morales and Blade.
On the other hand, his comments were far more specific about characters like Miles Morales and Blade.
There will always be people who want to see theMCUreturn toThe Inhumans and Eternalssimply because they love their comic book stories. But it’s clear that neither was carried out very well once they made their live-action debuts. There isn’t a need to try and reboot and try again. Instead, Feige should do exactly what he was telegraphing with his comments. Both look like they’ll be left in the past and no one should attempt to bring them into the present. Let Marvel worry about getting other IPs right.
MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling movie and television franchise that weaves together individual stories of superheroes including Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and many more. The first film in the franchise, Iron Man, was released in 2008. The MCU has garnered critical praise and financial success, earning billions at the box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.
