One of the frontrunners in this year’s awards conversation, Hamnet, is now in theaters after a hugely successful festival run. Directed by Oscar-winning Chloé Zhao, the heart-wrenching drama earned rave reviews and has been declared an early Best Picture contender. Zhao, too, is likely to get a Best Director nomination thanks to her beautiful, sensitive handling of the story of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley), as they grapple with the loss of their son. It would be her second nomination in that category and, if she’s victorious, her second win following the award she received for 2020’s <em>Nomadland</em>.

Hamnet and Nomadland share more than a few similarities, even though their stories are quite different. They’re both full of the elements Zhao values most in her work — a connection to nature, the poignancy of human connection, etc. — and they feel like natural steps in her career. However, there’s another movie lodged between them in Zhao’s filmography: the Marvel Cinematic Universe entry Eternals. With a decidedly rotten 47% on Rotten Tomatoes, the 2021 film was greeted with mixed responses from fans and critics upon release and remains on the lower end of MCU rankings for many. It’s far from a perfect movie, but looking back on it four years later, it has more to appreciate than some might remember.

‘Eternals’ Was the MCU’s First Proper Misstep

Arriving as the third post-Avengers: Endgame MCU movie, Eternals debuted at an odd time for the all-powerful superhero franchise. During its first three Phases, the MCU had the remarkable ability to find financial and critical success with even the most obscure Marvel properties. Eternals looked as though it could become another Guardians of the Galaxy-esque win, a vibrant cosmic tale with a strong ensemble shepherded by a compelling auteur.

Unfortunately, Eternals arrived right as the MCU began to lose its way in the aftermath of the Infinity Saga. The film followed the titular group, a team of celestial beings who were sent to Earth thousands of years ago to protect humanity from alien monsters known as Deviants. The logline is standard superhero fare, but the actual film was far more introspective and serious than the MCU typically gets. It was criticized for not fleshing out its many characters, striking an awkward tone, and featuring a bloated, lore-heavy plot.

Admittedly, some critiques of Eternals are fair. Four years on, and there’s yet to be any sign of a proper resolution for its cliffhanger ending or post-credits scene. Some of its weightier ideas — such as one Eternal, Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), being partially responsible for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki — are inserted haphazardly into the story, and indeed not every character is properly served. With a lineup of ten brand-new heroes, though, Zhao and her co-writers Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo had their work cut out for them.

The poor critical consensus surrounding Eternals — at the time of its release, it had the MCU’s lowest Rotten Tomatoes score — has given it a bad reputation with viewers. However, there is a lot to admire about it, enough that it isn’t fair to write Eternals off entirely. In addition to being the MCU’s most diverse project to date, it wasn’t afraid to take big swings with both its story and its tone. Zhao’s best work might lie outside the comic book realm, but her foray into the Marvel universe cannot be separated from her other films.

‘Eternals” Unique Characters and Plot Make It Worth Revisiting

Even during the height of the MCU’s success, the franchise was criticized for following a predictable formula and focusing primarily on straight, white male heroes. Regarding those points alone, <em>Eternals</em> is a breath of fresh air. Zhao brought her keen eye for natural visuals to the production, thus giving it its own distinct identity. Its centuries-spanning story eschews Marvel’s usual quip-filled and action-packed approach — though those elements are still there — in favor of taking a quieter, more intimate track that prioritizes meaningful moments between characters.

Take, for example, the bond between warriors Thena (Angelina Jolie) and Gilgamesh (Don Lee). Though the two characters don’t get as much screentime as others, their connection is reinforced through gentle physical gestures and brief, pointed moments that emphasize the history they share. Zhao’s ability to find incredible depth in a specific relationship with only a few interactions — a key aspect of Hamnet when it comes to the titular character — comes through most strongly here.

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“What’s remembered lives.”

More broadly, the Eternals include six non-white characters and five women. Plus, Phastos was the franchise’s first openly gay hero and shown to have a loving husband. Simply having diversity in a cast isn’t enough to erase any issues a film may have, but it is discouraging to see a project that bucks the usual format get dismissed so easily. Eternals‘ atypical brand of hero gives it a fresh perspective for the MCU, one that ultimately allows it to push some boundaries with its story.

Even with its end-of-the-world plot — which, like most world-ending MCU stories, never feels overly urgent — Eternals has real stakes. Prominent characters die, and ancient bonds between friends are tested as heroic figures become villains. Through it all, Zhao pays attention to the character moments that matter so that the emotional impact is felt. Each Eternal grapples with an internal crisis, one that speaks to who they are. Even as ancient beings, they feel intensely relatable when debating whether to protect their family or fighting to retain their memories in the face of a strange illness or longing for a different reality.

Eternals may not ever be considered one of the best MCU movies ever, but it definitely deserves another look now. If one watches it without all the expectations associated with a Marvel film hanging over it, it’s easy to see what Zhao was trying to do — and even easier to appreciate what she does well. From fascinating characters and conflicts to weightier storylines,Eternals is a compelling experiment from one of Hollywood’s most risk-averse properties, and hopefully it won’t be ignored forever.

Eternals is now available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.