The central story of Marvel's upcoming blockbuster Eternals is a complicated love triangle between Sersi, Ikaris, and Dane Whitman. Directed by Chloé Zhao, Eternals will be the second MCU film this year to introduce a cast of brand new characters after the release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in September. The film will follow the titular immortal alien race as they observe thousands of years of human history without interfering until the rise of their mortal enemies, the Deviants, leads them to make their presence known. The Eternals are led by Gemma Chan's Sersi, who has a longtime relationship with Richard Madden's Ikaris.

Joining Madden and Chan is a veritable slate of Hollywood all-stars and fresh faces, including Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Don Lee, Kumail Nanjiani, Barry Keoghan, Lia McHugh, Lauren Ridloff, and Kit Harington. All save for Harington will be portraying one of the members of the ten Eternals, while the former Game of Thrones actor will be playing Dane Whitman, a modern day character who becomes Marvel's Black Knight. Whether or not Harington's character becomes the Black Knight in the upcoming film remains unclear as Eternals first trailer kept the film's secrets tightly guarded, but now it's clear he'll at least be integral to the story.

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EW reports that most of Eternals will center around Ikaris and Sersi's eons-spanning romantic relationship. When the film picks up in the modern day, though, the pair have drifted apart and Sersi is now with Harington's character, Dane. The love triangle is described as "uncomfortable" but not many details are provided as to what this could mean. Madden did have plenty to say about his character and Sersi's relationship, though, indicating that their bond stems from the fact that they see the world so differently. Check out his thoughts below:

You've got to have this huge compassion for the human beings you're with, but then also, you've got this huge disconnect from them because you've lived through all of this time. That's what is so good about Sersi and Ikaris together, that they are two opposing sides of how they connect with the world. That's what balances them.

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That uncomfortableness may stem from the fact that Sersi and Ikaris will reunite at some point during the film after presumably spending many years apart. Dane, of course, will likely be wrapped up in the Eternals' struggle with the Deviants in some form or another, possibly leading to his evolution into the Black Knight. The added layer of romantic intrigue will only serve to complicate things further.

Ultimately, it will be interesting to see the MCU tackle such a complex romantic dynamic. While there's no shortage of relationships in the Marvel films and television shows, the movies have largely shied away from depicting romance in an intricate manner. Wanda and Vision's relationship is perhaps the most notable couple in the MCU thanks to their story in this year's Disney+ series WandaVision, but with the franchise looking to the future and romance being central to Eternals' plot, the dynamic between Sersi, Ikaris, and Dane will be one to keep an eye on.

More: Black Widow: Mason’s Introduction Reveals How Bad MCU Is At Romance

Source: EW

 

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