Eternals screenwriters Ryan and Kaz Firpo have addressed one of the movie's biggest fan theories regarding the possibility of Galactus showing up in the MCU.
In an interview with The Direct, Firpo considered how the latest Marvel blockbuster sheds light on the past, present and future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, particularly the threats the new group of superheroes may end up facing, having already been forced out of the shadows to rally against mankind's most ancient enemy, the Deviants.
"Galactus is an amazing, amazing character, and villain," Firpo said, commenting on the theories about the potential arrival of the classic Marvel villain in the MCU. "We are, you know, obviously setting the stage for intergalactic, cosmic, megalith confrontations, especially when you kill a space god—and then the space god comes and kidnaps you and plans to judge Earth, I think the door is very much open for world-eating villains."
Firpo also spoke about the movie's mid-credits and post-credits sequences, confirming that conversations are happening about the characters they're introducing and what it might mean for the MCU's future. He contemplated how Galactus could appear in a follow-up to the Chloé Zhao film, even though it's been suggested that an Eternals sequel isn't a "must-have."
"Galactus is one of those iconic figures of the Marvel Universe that we're excited to see," Firpo explained. "But sometimes I think you leave yourself open, you leave these doors open, and who knows what's happening in number two. Maybe you're too busy saving a Celestial from Galactus that you end up incurring his [wrath]… anything's possible."
Eternals had a solid box office debut, with an opening weekend of $71 million, though it's also the lowest-rated MCU movie with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of just 47%, which may go some way in influencing the decision to pick up a sequel. Firpo claimed that they hadn't yet mapped out a second film, but noted that "if audiences want to see it, we're excited to explore it."
While a sequel may or may not be on the cards in the future, Eternals actor Kit Harington has already expressed his desire for his character, Dane Whitman (also known as Black Knight in the comics), to have "a longer trajectory" in the MCU, even though he recognizes that he's portraying "the human character of the story" rather than one of the film's titular immortals.
Check out our explainer of Eternals post-credits scene to dig deeper into Black Knight's comic book background and how that could inform his MCU future.
Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.