Eternals spoilers: Does anyone die in Marvel’s Eternals?

Marvel’s latest cinematic offering has finally arrived in theaters and to say Eternals contains a few twists would be an absolute understatement.

With several centuries worth of backstory to cover and less than three hours to introduce audiences to the Eternals’ various members, Eternals makes full use of its runtime in telling an incredible storyline and expanding the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a bold new direction!

In the film, we’re at first led to believe the Eternals came to be living on Earth after having been sent to Earth centuries ago by a Celestial in order to protect the plant from Deviants. However, the story ends up being much more complicated than we anticipated with a series of events that keep audiences on their toes throughout the film.

The film took viewers on quite a wild rollercoaster ride filled and no Marvel epic would be complete without a few battles — and Eternals was filled with fight sequences unlike any we’ve seen before in the MCU.

Warning: Major Marvel’s Eternals spoilers are ahead. If you haven’t yet seen the film and want to avoid any spoilers from the movie, you might look to avoid reading on beyond this point. 

Eternals spoilers: Do any characters die in Eternals?

While there have been many Marvel movies over the years, not all have included bloodshed or the deaths of key heroes; however, Eternals is not your average Marvel movie. In this origin story, there are a handful of heroes who die across the film with three Eternals members dying across the nearly three-hour epic!

Who kills Ajak in Eternals?

Within the first act of Eternals, the film delivers its first shocking death with the discovery that the Eternals’ leader Ajak (Salma Hayek) was murdered — a moment that serves as the catalyst for the Eternals reuniting after years apart.

Upon first discovering Ajak’s body, it’s assumed that she was murdered by the Deviants who have reemerged after years of dormancy. This gives the team a common enemy to fight against; however, we later discover that while Deviants did kill her it was actually a member of the Eternals who orchestrated her death.

As it turns out, Ajak was prepared to go against their orders in expressing a way to prevent the Emergence from happening and to save humanity after coming to love Earth and its inhabitants. Out of a fear that she might choose to go against their orders in seeing to it that the Emergence occurred, Ikaris (Richard Madden) flies Ajak out to an overlook where he shows her that with the planet’s rising temperatures the Deviants have returned.

After expressing concerns with Ajak preventing the Emergence, Ikaris pushes Ajak off the cliff in throwing her to the wolves (Deviants) who quickly attack leading to her death.

How does Gilgamesh die in Eternals?

Our second shocking death of the film comes during a Deviant attack, this time with Gilgamesh (Ma Dong-seokas) sacrificing his own life to save the life of one of his fellow Eternals.

While visiting Druig (Barry Keoghan) in order to recruit him in their looming battle with the Deviants, the Deviants get the jump on the Eternals and chaos ensues as the two parties entangle in battle.

During the battle, one Deviant seems to be about to get the upper hand on Thena (Angelina Jolie) and for a minute it looks like she is going to be the second hero to perish in the film. Instead, Gilgamesh steps in to distract the Deviant and pays the ultimate price in sacrificing his life to save Thena.

Does Ikaris die in Eternals?

Our third major death of the film comes in the final act of the film and is one that is sure to keep fans talking for some time.

After Sersi and his fellow Eternals win their fight and save the Earth, Ikaris seems to be unable to forgive himself for the actions he took in attempting to ensure the Emergence occurred — actions that included killing Ajak, having a hand in the death of Gilgamesh and betraying Sersi and his family.

Unable to live with himself for the actions he took, Ikaris extends a tearful apology to Sersi before flying out into space and into the sun. The moment seems to suggest Ikaris takes his own life by burning up under the heat of the star.