Why The Eternals Didn't Interfere In Infinity War & Endgame

The second (and final) full trailer for Eternals finally confirms why the titular group didn't bother lending a hand when Thanos came to Earth during Infinity War. The Eternals' arrival is undoubtedly a watershed moment for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Created by the Celestials, the likes of Sersi, Ikaris and Thena are super-powerful, immortal beings who wield and manipulate energy in various creative ways. Though they hail from elsewhere, the Eternals have been secretly living on Earth for the past 7,000 years, masquerading themselves as ordinary humans, and sometimes inspiring a religion or two.

Naturally, the introduction of the Eternals prompts the question "why now?" Not getting involved against Malekith in Thor: The Dark World, or Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron is probably fair enough, and even The Avengers' Battle of New York remained limited in scope, but Thanos proved a different prospect entirely, targeting the entire universe, and succeeding in wiping out half of all life. The Eternals were absent during round one in Avengers: Infinity War, seemingly choosing not to chase down Thanos during the intervening years, but they went missing once again during the fateful Avengers: Endgame rematch. Their record looks even worse considering Thanos (in the comics, at least) is an Eternal himself, of a fashion.

The new Eternals trailer provides long-awaited answers. The latest footage reveals more about the plot of the film while also showcasing more of Chloé Zhao's breathtaking visuals. The second trailer sees Salma Hayek's Ajak (the Eternals' leader) visiting Ikaris to fill him in on everything that happened with Thanos and what the effects were of the Avengers bringing back the population that disappeared during Thanos' snap. In the first trailer, Ajak stated that "we have never interfered... until now." The line confirmed the Eternals' policy of non-interference, like a classical monotheistic god, or the Time Lords. Considering their powers and immortal state, it seemed odd they would just hang around and not do anything to help humankind. But the second trailer reveals the reason why the beings didn't get involved in World War II or prevent Thanos from snapping half of Earth's people out of existence. The truth is they were instructed not to interfere by the Celestials, the beings who created the Eternals. This is revealed after Dane Whitman wonders aloud to Sersi about their lack of action.

The Eternals were tasked with watching over humans, only interfering when the Deviants, the Eternals' villainous counterparts, threatened the world. It's no wonder the Eternals spent 7,000 years guiding humanity instead of fixing their problems. Whether this excuse holds water is a matter of debate. Most of the Eternals seem happy to meddle by steering humanity towards better farming techniques; where does one draw the line between lending a hand and interference? Maybe the Eternals could've used an Uncle Ben to remind them exactly what comes with great power. That said, the second Eternals trailer does suggest the beings could step out of the shadows and into the light. Interestingly, the Eternals' no interference policy contradicts the philosophy of Carol Danvers, who routinely leaves her home planet to protect alien worlds from harm. After all, there's a big difference between letting Earth makes its own mistakes, and watching half the universe be wiped out when just one Eternal could've saved the day, regardless of Celestial orders.

The Eternals being forbidden to interfere with humanity unless Deviants are involved tracks with the comics, which offers the same explanation with regards to the Celestials' control over their non-actions. No matter if the Eternals might've wanted to punch Thanos in his big wrinkly chin, doing so likely would have brought greater misery and wrath upon the universe's mortals because the Celestials are even more powerful and not to be messed with. Eternals finally showcasing what they are capable of could mean they will be more present in the MCU's future battles regardless of Deviant involvement.

More: Eternals Theory: Hulk's Endgame Snap Brought Back The Celestials (Not Deviants)