I Rewatched Eternals For The First Time Since Theaters And It Slaps. But The Runtime Is Still Criminal

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The Marvel Universe is now running smoothly, consistently producing new content in cinemas and on Disney+. Fans who have followed the Marvel films chronologically will remember that there have been some ups and downs since “Avengers: Endgame” broke box office records as the highest-grossing film ever. One of those downturns was Chloé Zhao’s “Eternals,” which has largely been excluded from the shared universe. Recently, I revisited it for the first time and found that it packs a surprising punch… however, its length significantly hinders the movie.

As a die-hard Marvel fan, I must admit that while Eternals dominated the box office, it didn’t quite strike a chord with many viewers like some other Marvel films. Unfortunately, a sequel isn’t currently in the pipeline for Marvel’s upcoming movies, and its storyline was merely hinted at in Captain America: Brave New World.

Re-watching Eternals, I found myself appreciating all the fantastic elements it had to offer; however, the movie’s length seemed to be a major hurdle that kept audiences from fully immersing themselves in the story.

Eternals Was Bogged Down By Too Many Characters

After “Endgame,” this film was among the earliest to premiere in cinemas, which meant it had some significant predecessors to live up to for the audience. The reception towards “Eternals” from critics was not particularly favorable, with several reviewers stating that Chloé Zhao’s blockbuster was overly complex and dense for new viewers. Audiences questioned why “Eternals” was so lengthy, and the explanation is straightforward: there were an excessive number of characters to develop.

In the Avengers movies, the Russo Brothers skillfully managed large ensembles of familiar characters that fans adored. For the film Eternals, however, director Chloé Zhao faced a unique challenge: she needed to present a fresh team of ten heroes, along with additional characters like Phastos’ husband and Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman. To ensure each new character had distinct personalities and backgrounds, the movie ran for an extended 2 hours and 36 minutes.

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As a movie reviewer, I found myself pondering the potential ways that the fate of “Eternals” could have been altered for a more focused narrative. One intriguing suggestion would be to reduce the size of the team assembled for the film, thereby granting director Chloé Zhao the opportunity to delve deeper into fewer newcomers’ characters. This adjustment, ideally made before filming, would have allowed for a more intimate exploration of each character, showcasing their unique qualities and complexities.

Of course, it’s important to note that the cast of “Eternals” was comprised of exceptionally talented individuals, so such a change would not have been an easy decision. However, in the pursuit of a more cohesive and impactful story, I believe this could have been a worthwhile consideration.

Instead, excess footage could have been discarded during editing. The filmmaker, fresh from winning an Oscar for “Nomadland,” chose an unusually lengthy runtime for a non-Marvel Cinematic Universe film back then. Perhaps if the audience didn’t need to spend so long in the cinema, they would have savored the movie’s breathtaking visuals and grand cosmic scope more.

It’s even more aggravating that many storylines from the blockbuster may not be resolved, as there’s been no news about a sequel in years. The final scene of Eternals left us with a cliffhanger, with Arishem taking half the team into space. Additionally, we were introduced to Harry Styles’ Eros and Harrington’s Dane wielding the Ebony Blade in the credits scenes, but since then, none of these characters have appeared or been mentioned.

When the film “Eternals” is excellent, it truly shines; however, its length slightly detracts from the overall experience (and potentially hinders the series before it even begins). The depiction of the Celestials on the large screen was particularly captivating, and I hope that director Chloé Zhao and the cast are given another opportunity to work together again.

The Eternals are currently available for streaming on Disney+, joining the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe. The upcoming MCU film set to hit theaters is Spider-Man: Fresh Start, scheduled for release on July 24th of next year as part of the 2026 movie lineup.

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2025-09-05 16:36