The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a well-oiled machine at this point, constantly expanding in both theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. But fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that there have been some bombs over the past few years. I fully expect Deadpool 3 to take shots at the MCU's recent missteps. But I'm still shocked Kevin Feige was open about one franchise not working.
What we know about Deadpool & Wolverine is limited, but fans are expecting Ryan Reynolds to throw plenty of shade at the MCU. Marvel studios usually doesn't dwell on its failures, but Kevin Feige recently spoke to Inverse and seemingly made it clear that the Eternals franchise is DOA. In his words:
There are no immediate plans for Eternals 2. There are, and I think you’ve seen maybe in a trailer we’ve released recently, an acknowledgment of some of those events. Certain giant things came out of the ocean.
Honestly, I'm shook. Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios are known for keeping their cards close to the chest. In addition to keeping movie's secrets, that also means not publicly acknowledging when things didn't work. But it seems like Feige have no interest in continuing the story that began with Eternals. And considering the cliffhangers that came with Eternals' ending, it sounds like we might never get a resolution to what went down with the titular team.
Upon its release, Eternals didn't fare well critically, with fans taking umbrage with its runtime, pacing, and huge cast of newcomers. For some this represented a negative shift in a post-Endgame MCU, and it was the first of a number of disappointments. Still, hearing Kevin Feige shut down the possibility of a sequel is wild, especially with set up that came from its ending and Eternals' credit scenes.
Of course, it's important to note that Chloé Zhao's blockbuster isn't the only Marvel disappointment that has come in recent phases. The Marvels' box office was so bad that Marvel stopped reporting its numbers. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania also bombed at the box office, marking one of the first time this has ever happened. But Feige hasn't explicitly shut down the possibility of more sequels, or seeing the return of these titular heroes. And that's part of what makes his comments about Eternals so wild.
Kevin Feige's comments reference the Captain America: Brave New World trailer, as that movie will finally reference the frozen body of Tiamut, which was seen jutting out of the Earth at the end of Eternals. The movie also set up Kit Harington becoming Black Knight, as well as the entrance of Blade. Alas, it's unclear if these narrative threads will be pulled, including half of the Eternals team being taken into space by Arishem. Plus there's Harry Styles' role as Eros.
The net MCU movie hitting theaters Deadpool & Wolverine on July 26th. In the meantime, check the 2025 movie release dates.
