Marvel Studios’Eternalshas finally been released in theaters and based on early preview screenings, fans were eager to see the latest MCU epic. The film managed to rake in enough cash to earn the title of third-best box office performer of the year in terms of Thursday night previews.
Eternals' box office numbers place it right behind the MCU’sBlack Widowrelease in early July (which leads the Thursday night preview crew with $13.2M), andSony’sVenom: Let There Be Carnage’s$11.6M.Eternalshas also passedShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' $8.8M Thursday total and now ranks slightly ahead of other MCU pre-pandemic November Thursday releases such asDoctor Strange’s$9.4M andThor: The Dark World’s$7.1M.
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Deadline reports Marvel Studios’Eternalsracked up $9.5M at the domestic box office from Thursday night previews.Eternals' early numbers and October’s overall performance at the box office, which rang the best monthly domestic box office during the pandemic with $638M due tofilms likeDune(now receiving Part 2 due to the great opening numbers), are great signs of theatres and the film industry gradually returning to normalcy. Moving forward into the holiday months, big upcoming releases likeSpider-Man: No Way Homewill no doubt open with solid box office numbers that could potentially place it as one of the MCU’s best openings.
While the film is already off to a great start financially,Eternalshas been receiving mixed reviews from critics, placing it as one of the most divisive films in the entire MCU. Much of the criticism is directed towards the jumbled storylines and hefty amount of exposition crammed into the film’s 2 hours and 37-minute runtime. Even ifEternalsis currently the worst-reviewed MCU film on rotten tomatoes, with a score of 49%, the bad reviews don’t seem to interfere with the already great openings.
Eternalscenters on an immortal alien race that was created by the Celestials and has been living secretly on Earth for thousands of years. They finally have to come together to stop their evil counterparts known as the Deviants. The early high numbers at the box office, other than being a big Marvel film and audiences becoming more comfortable returning to theatres, could be an indication that fans are craving something different and fresh for the MCU. In a universe that can be too formulaic at times, the divisiveness and Zhao’s unique perspectives may just be what the MCU needs.
Eternals' star-studded ensemble includes Richard Madden as Ikaris, Gemma Chan as Sersi, Angelina Jolie as Thena, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Barry Keoghan as Druig, Don Lee as Gilgamesh,Kit Harington as Dane Whitman, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Lia McHugh as Sprite, and Harish Patel as Karun.
