[Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for Eternals]
Talk about epic! Marvel’s Eternals spans millennia and takes grandeur to a whole new level, but under Chloe Zhao’s direction, the story continues to feel grounded because of the team’s connection to Earth.
Unlike most other Marvel Cinematic Universe properties, Eternals is purposely non-linear, with the story jumping across timelines. If the unconventional structure left you wondering how long the Eternals have been alive all this time, let alone on living Earth, here’s a guide to the chronological history of the MCU’s newest super-team.
Millions of Years Ago - Origins
Initially, the Eternals believed that they were from the planet Olympia and sent to Earth specifically to stop the Deviants. Their understanding was that they were born millennia before the present day. However, after the death of Ajak (Salma Hayek), Sersi (Gemma Chan) is chosen to lead the team and contact the Celestial Arishem (David Kaye), who drops some horrifying truth bombs.
Arishem explains that he created the Deviants millions of years ago, but they soon began to evolve beyond his control. To stop them, he created genetically enhanced beings—the much more malleable Eternals. The team aren’t just immortal beings instructed to protect humans, they are literally eternal because Arishem recreates them after each Emergence, which is the decimation of a planet caused by the birth of a Celestial. The Eternals’ memories are removed and stored in the World Forge, which is also their birthplace.
Ajak was privy to this knowledge and had done Arishem’s bidding for millions of years before she changed her mind. Unfortunately, it resulted in her untimely death. What isn’t exactly clear is whether the Celestials have always needed protectors like the Eternals to ensure a planet’s survival. Since these beings are the foundation of the universe in the MCU, it’s possible the Eternals are even older than Arishem revealed.
5000 BC – Arrival on Earth
The film begins with ten Eternals awaking aboard the spaceship Domo to land on Earth and stop a Deviant invasion. They arrive in Mesopotamia in 5000 BC and make quick work of the monstrous creatures by using their unique gifts. This is Earth’s first encounter with these almost godly beings, which, as per the film anyway, gives rise to many of Earth’s legends. The names Sersi, Thena, Ikaris, and Gilgamesh are all adopted as mythological characters in tales as old as time. Because they literally are.
525 BC – Technological Progress and Romance
The Eternals remain on Earth, fighting the Deviants and assisting humans’ development in all spheres—from agriculture to technology. In 525 BC, they’re at the forefront of a battle against Deviants at the blue gates of Babylon.
During this period, Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) is desperate to fast-forward humanity’s technological progress. He suggests the creation of a steam engine but is talked down from the idea by his team. Phastos eventually settles on the plow as a starting point.
It’s also during this era that Ajak reveals the true origins and mission of the Eternals to Ikaris (Richard Madden) and tells him to get a life beyond fighting Deviants. As a result, Ikaris reveals his feelings for Sersi, who reciprocates in kind.
400 CE– A Wedding!
The team is next seen in India, during the Gupta period. This era has long been heralded by historians as the Golden Age of India, which may explain why the scenes set during this period are of a more celebratory nature. We see Sersi and Ikaris getting married in a hybrid wedding. Later in the film, we return to the wedding and see how the Eternals have blended with the people, joyfully dancing with them in celebration.
1521 CE – The Team Disbands
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. By the year 1521, the Eternals have grown weary of their mission. At this point, they’ve been on Earth for nearly 7000 years. Ajak mentions that the Deviants have been eradicated, so the Eternals have been living among humans, helping them advance but unable to stop the constant wars.
We see the team in Tenochtitlan during a particularly violent moment in history—the Spanish army invasion of the Aztec Empire. Several members, especially Druig (Barry Keoghan), are frustrated by their inaction as they watch the bloody battle continue before them. Druig finally disobeys Ajak’s diktat and mind controls the armies to stop the fighting.
Alongside Druig’s mutiny, the Eternals have another problem on their hands when Thena (Angelina Jolie) is afflicted by the psychological condition, ‘Mahd Wy’ry’ (pronounced ‘mad weary’). Ajak explains that Thena’s mind is being overwhelmed by thousands of years of memories, which is causing her to become disoriented and attack her own friends. Ajak suggests a complete mind wipe. Of course, we later discover that this was a gaslighting technique and Thena was in fact remembering the truth about the Eternal’s origins.
Ajak makes the call, in not so many words, to disband the Eternals, allowing them to start their own lives. Gilgamesh (Don Lee) and Thena leave so he can keep watch over her. Druig remains in the region, living in the Amazon until the present day.
1945 CE – Hiroshima
We see but a glimpse of this time. The Eternals’ interference in Earth’s history is sprinkled throughout the film, but its devastation becomes apparent as Phastos witnesses the aftermath of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, Japan. Phastos is beside himself with anger at having helped humanity’s technological advancement. Ajak has to console him because he couldn’t have seen this horror coming.
2024 – Present Day
We don’t know the exact year of ‘Present Day’ in the MCU. Since the Snap happened in 2018, and Ajak specifically mentions that five years before Thanos (Josh Brolin) killed half the universe, we should assume it’s around 2023. However, according to Eternals producer Nate Moore, the film takes place concurrently with Spider-Man: Far From Home, the events of which occurred during the summer of 2024.
Exact years aside, the majority of the MCU film does take place in the 21st Century. Sersi is now a museum curator living with Sprite (Lia McHugh). Sersi also has a new boyfriend, her colleague Dane Whitman (Kit Harrington). The trio is attacked by a new kind of Deviant in London and saved by Ikaris. The three Eternals search for Ajak, who they find has been killed. They then reassemble the team and try to work together to stop the Emergence of the Celestial Tiamut and save Earth. Unfortunately, one of their own soon turns against them.
Around a week prior to the London Deviant attack, Ikaris returned from his centuries’ long disappearance to meet Ajak. There she explained that the heroics of the Avengers during the Blip and the determination of humanity changed her mind about the Emergence. Ajak wanted to stop it, but Ikaris, her second-in-command, was too indoctrinated in their mission and insisted on following through with Arishem’s orders. When Ajak stood in his way Ikaris allowed her to be killed by the new Deviant, Kro (Bill Skarsgård) who was then able to absorb her healing abilities.
Two weeks after the Eternals stop the Emergence, Sprite is sent off to a regular human school, but then Sersi, Phastos, Kingo are captured by Arishem who intends to judge them for stopping Tiamut’s emergence.
Sometime after that, Druig, Makkari, and Thena, who have left Earth in the Domo, are visited by Starfox/Eros (Harry Styles) with a new proposition, and Dane Whitman gets a surprising visit from an unseen new MCU hero.
Other Notable Periods
Centuries Ago – Ikaris abandons Sersi. We don’t know where he went, but living with the knowledge of their true mission and keeping it secret from Sersi was too much of a burden to bear, so Ikaris left her.
500s – Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) knew Odin and a young Thor (Chris Hemsworth) would apparently run around his feet as a child. Now, he refuses to return Kingo’s calls. Uncool!
800s – Sprite makes up the story of Icarus flying too close to the sun in Macedonia, which then becomes a Greek myth. It’s during this era that Kingo abandons her because he’s tired of changing locations every time people notice Sprite doesn't age.
1900s – Kingo’s love for entertainment and stories leads him to India where he becomes a movie star and director. He continues his reign by pretending to continue his family legacy. As of present day, Kingo has been a Bollywood star for three generations.
1970s – At some point, Karun (Harish Patel) becomes Kingo’s valet. Since Kingo mentions that Karun has worked with him for 50 years, we can assume they met during the 70s.
2000s – Phastos regains his faith in humanity after meeting Ben (Haaz Sleiman). They fall in love, get married and have a son together, the precocious Jack (Esai Daniel Cross).