Feige on where The Eternals fit in at Phase 4

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has opened up about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe following Avengers: Endgame, saying that the in-development Eternals is representative of the "different and unique" properties the studio plans to develop following the conclusion of its Avengers saga.

“Everything after Endgame, and after Spider-Man: Far From Home, will be different and be unique, as we try to make every film. But seeing returning characters is certainly something we’re gonna do and want to do," Feige told Collider. "But also introducing characters that the majority of the world has never heard of, much like Guardians, much like Avengers before we made Avengers."

"And there are lots of them," Feige continued, getting specific. "Eternals are one group, but we like the idea of introducing an ensemble, doing an ensemble movie from the start, as opposed to building up as we did with the first Avengers. More like Guardians, not tonally, but in terms of introducing a new group of people. You were asking about ’60s, and ’70s before. Jack Kirby did an immense, amazing epic with Eternals that spans tens of thousands of years, and that’s also something we haven’t really done, which is why that among many other things post-Endgame, we find appealing.”

In comic books, the Eternals are ancient godlike beings with connections to the Kree, the Inhumans, and the Celestials.

Marvel's confirmed post-Endgame/Far From Home plans include Black Widow, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Doctor Strange 2, and Black Panther 2. The studio will also have further opportunity to innovate with new characters once Disney's impending purchase of some 21st Century Fox assets brings the film rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four to Marvel Studios.

No projected release date for Eternals has been set, though Marvel has numerous dates mapped out for unspecified films over the next several years.