Eternals ending explained: Breaking down the end of Marvel's most polarizing movie

Eternals may be a bit ignored among MCU movies but it does have some big implications for the films!

Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for Eternals

Released in 2021, Eternals was a different spin on the usual MCU formula. In 5000 BC, the Celestials, insanely powerful cosmic beings, choose ten superhuman protectors (Ajak, Sersi, Ikaris, Kingo, Sprite, Phastos, Makkari, Druig, Gilgamesh, and Thena) to protect humanity from the Deviants, monstrous creatures. 

Over the millennia, these Eternals have drifted apart and integrated with humans. When Ajax is killed seemingly by Deviants, they reunite to find out what happened. This leads to various turns before Sersi (Gemma Chan) discovers the shocking truth of the Eternals’ origins and mission.

The Eternals’ true purpose

Sersi is stunned to realize that everything the Eternals knew about themselves is false. They weren’t just “born” before coming to Earth but had been sent to other planets before, with their memories wiped afterward. The Celestials plant a seed into the heart of a planet and when the population reaches a certain point, it “births” a new Celestial…which completely destroys the planet and everything on it. 

The Deviants were resistant to the seeds, and the Eternals were meant to protect not humanity but the seed. When Thanos “blipped” half the universe, it delayed the Emergence but the populace restored means the seed can hatch soon. So Sersi now wants the Eternals to try to stop the Emergence. 

The traitor within

The Eternals battle the Deviants, and Gilgamesh is killed. They try to use the Uni-Mind, which unites their mental powers, only for it to reveal that it was Ikaris who killed Ajax. Ikaris is still quite loyal to Celestial Arishem and won’t stop the Emergence. Sprite, who’s long loved Ikaris, joins him, and Kingo just walks away from the conflict. 

The Eternals battle each other at a volcano in the Indian Ocean as the “seed” starts to hatch with the Celestial Tiamut. Sprite realizes she can’t let Earth be destroyed and forces Ikaris to join the others in the Uni-Mind. That allows Sersi to turn Tiamut to stone, leaving a colossal statue with a huge hand standing in the middle of the Indian Ocean. 

Guilt-ridden over his actions, Ikaris sacrifices himself flying into the sun. Meanwhile, Sersi uses the last of the Uni-Mind’s power to transform Sprite into a human, freeing her from millenia trapped in a child’s body.

Eternals ending and post credits-scene explained

Back in London, Sersi reconnects with boyfriend Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) when Arishem arrives and brings her, Kingo, and Phastos together, quite displeased at them stopping the Emergence. He tells them they will be part of his “trial” on humanity to see if they’re worth saving and brings them to a distant galaxy.

Meanwhile, Thena, Druig, and Makkari had left Earth to warn Eternals on other worlds of the Emergence. They’re met in space by Eros, aka Starfox (Harry Styles), and his sidekick Pip the Troll. 

The final stinger has Dane, desperate to find Sersi, opening a case continuing the Ebony Blade. He’s about to touch it when he hears Blade (Mahershala Ali) warning him it’s a bad idea. 

The movie had a mixed reception from fans, critics and the box office, leaving its fate up in the air. Some fans argued that it would have been better as a TV show. It’s meant to be a big deal with the Eternals and the cliffhanger leaving it up in the air what happens to these Eternals and their conflict with the Celestials.

The Blade cameo was to set up his solo movie which has sadly hit one roadblock after another. So, for now, the fate of the Eternals and their future in the MCU is shaky, even as the movie was meant to be a bold experiment for the franchise.

Eternals streaming on Disney+.