While Eternals struggled to give significance to its CGI Deviants, it’s a problem that’s been seen before in the first Avengers film with the Chitauri. While both alien threats had the opportunity to be more dynamic in their respective films, neither achieved anything more than showing up for fight scenes so the heroes could display their powers. It’s an unfortunate commonality both films in the MCU share, despite being released approximately 9 years apart.
In the film directed by Chloé Zhao, Eternals features a group of immortal beings who have existed on Earth for centuries. Created by the cosmic beings known as the Celestials, the Eternals believed they were created to protect humanity from the Deviants, an invasive species also created by the Celestials which grew beyond their control. Instead, it was eventually revealed that the Eternals were created to help the Earth prepare for the Emergence: the birth of a new Celestial at the expense of the entire world’s destruction. As such, this led to tension and strong division between the Eternals in a conflict that surprisingly left little room for the Deviants themselves.
Despite the dimension and personalities the Deviants display in the comics, a personality or even intelligence was sorely lacking in the MCU version. Instead, they were nothing more than CGI creatures who simply served as moving punching bags. While there was a singular Deviant who continually evolved where he could eventually speak, he was only given a few lines even though he was meant to be the on-screen version of Kro, general and dictator of the Deviant civilization in the comics. Instead, the Deviants are devoid of personality and are left to rot in the narrative once the film pivots its focus to the inner conflict between the Eternals. Likewise, the alien Chitauri forces seen in Avengers are very similar, showing up at the film’s end to be no more than CGI punching bags as well.
It should be noted that Avengers’ use of the Chitauri is somewhat less egregious due to the presence of Loki as the main antagonist, who of course provided plenty of dynamic and personality to the role. The Chitauri are often depicted as a collective hivemind in the comics as well. However, when the bulk of the threat has zero personality and simply exists as a force to be fought, it’s hard to convey any kind of real stakes. This is very much felt in Eternals with its use of the Deviants, especially when the comics prove they could have been so much more.
While it would be nice to imagine Kro and his fellow Deviants evolving further to become intelligent with their own unique personalities as they do in the comics, they were all killed off by the end of the film. Likewise, the Chitauri remained the same when they returned in Avengers: Endgame. In any case, here’s hoping Marvel Studios will grow beyond this Eternals and Avengers mistake going forward.
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Author: Kevin Erdmann
