Why So Many Of The MCU's Celestial Beings Never Interfere

Marvel explains in Marvel's What If...? and Eternals that its Celestial beings don't often interfere with the matters of Earth, and there are a few reasons why. What If...? introduces how slight alterations could completely change the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series premiere shows Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) taking the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers (voiced by Josh Keaton), and the second episode reveals how T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) could become Star-Lord instead of Peter Quill (voiced by Brian T. Delaney). The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright), a.k.a. Uatu, is a being that observes all these stories from afar. The character is a god-like figure who hails from a race of Watchers in the Marvel comics and views all the events of Marvel's Multiverse.

Conversely, in Marvel comics canon, the Celestials are a powerful and ancient race of beings with the ability to manipulate matter and energy who originally create the Eternals. The MCU's latest installment, the Eternals movie, follows this same narrative, with the Celestials putting the Eternals in charge of protecting Earth from an evil race of monsters called Deviants. To save Earth from the Deviants, the Eternals have secretly lived on the planet for thousands of years, awaiting their next instruction from the omnipotent Celestial Arishem the Judge. In addition to protecting Earth from these monsters, the Eternals also shepherded human society through history, helping humankind develop technology and culture across the last 7,000 years.

Though the MCU has several mighty beings, there are a few reasons they generally stay out of Earthly affairs. In What If...?, The Watcher explains, "I observe all that transpires here, but I do not, cannot, will not interfere." The character is content watching the events of the Multiverse without altering the course of the MCU's overarching story. In fact, he is on the fringes of What If...?'s narrative until episode 4, when an evil version of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) calls out The Watcher to help stop the destruction of his universe. In this vein, the Eternals have also stuck to the sidelines prior to the Emergence, staying out of Earthly problems like the Avengers' conflict with Thanos (Josh Brolin). Additionally, the MCU already introduced a Celestial named Ego (Kurt Russell), who also didn't involve himself with the matters of Earth, other than creating a son, Chris Pratt's Peter Quill, with an Earthling.

Marvel's powerful beings all have specific tasks and motivations that keep them from largely interfering on Earth. The Celestials once deemed that the Eternals were placed on Earth to protect humanity from the Deviants and have not deviated since, even to the point of allowing a section of Earth's Eternals to scupper the birth of one of their kin. While the MCU has not divulged the backstory of why Uatu doesn't interfere to date, the Marvel comics explain that the Watchers once gave knowledge to a species called the Prosilicans, and that race then destroyed itself. Thus, The Watcher chooses never to interfere in any other dealings. Additionally, the Celestial Ego had the task of spreading his likeness throughout the universe. True to his name, he was egotistical and refused to bother himself with the problems of lesser beings.

Of course, the Celestials, the Watchers, and the Eternals also haven't interfered because of one big reason: Marvel didn't want them to. Introducing powerful beings this late into the MCU has the potential to create a litany of plot holes in Marvel projects. However, Marvel can introduce the creatures whenever it wants with minimal problems by simply saying they all had tasks keeping them from interfering thus far. The beings have secretly been around the entire time, but the hands-off policies prevented them from making themselves known. Though Eternals and Marvel's What If...? both give excuses why its powerful beings were quietly on the periphery the entire time, in the end, it's really just to serve Marvel's narrative purposes.

More: Marvel Subtly Included A Sad Peter Quill Easter Egg In What If