Warning! Spoilers ahead for Marvel's What If...? episode 8.

Ultron’s attack in Marvel’s What If…? just proved the biggest problem with the Eternals in the MCU. The Eternals, who are supposedly the most powerful heroes around, have yet to make a splash in the MCU. After centuries of inactivity, the team will be forced to rise up against the Deviants in the MCU’s next movie, Eternals.

It was established long ago in Jack Kirby’s original Eternals comic book series in the 1970s that this race of superhuman immortals has successfully remained hidden from humanity for thousands of years by standing on the sidelines when wars were raging and other catastrophes occurred. Though they have the power to stop these tragedies, they made a pact with the Celestials not to interfere in the affairs of humans, because the Celestials are scientists who wanted to see what would happen if human society progressed naturally. While a specific reason hasn’t been revealed yet, trailers for Marvel’s Eternals movie have confirmed that the MCU’s adaptation of the team adheres to the same policy.

Related: How Powerful Is The Watcher? Why He’s Weaker Than Ultron

The events of Marvel’s What If…? episode 8 exposed the issues with these rules and why they don’t really work. Certain disasters in the MCU have either been limited in scale or were averted before interference from the Eternals should be expected, but the story delivered in episode 8 should have been an exception. After all, Ultron Vision eradicated all life on Earth and destroyed the planet itself. As shown in the trailers, the Eternals are willing to take a stand against the Deviants to protect the Earth, but apparently, their old foes are the only ones they’re willing to fight.

Ultron cape in What If

The Eternals not stopping Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War from destroying half the universe was problematic, especially since it likely extended to their own kind. But not opposing Ultron is a much bigger issue for them, given that his goals were more ambitious and dangerous than Thanos' ever were. Looking at how differently he’s utilizing the Infinity Stones, Ultron presents a threat to the entire multiverse. That should make them just as much of a concern (if not more so) than the “Emergence” mentioned in the Eternals trailer.

The group not taking action before or after Earth’s destruction raises questions about the true meaning of their name. In the comics, “Eternals” fits them because they’re virtually immortal and can only be destroyed when their molecules are separated to a point where it’s impossible for them to reconstitute their bodies. The Earth being obliterated shouldn’t have meant death for the Eternals, thus providing them with an opportunity to take on Ultron and the Infinity Stones, avenging their world and humanity. Perhaps the explanation for why they didn’t is that Ultron used the Infinity Stones to defeat them off-screen. Either way, Ultron’s rise in Marvel’s What If…? demonstrates the fundamental flaw in the Eternals’ strict, non-interference policy.

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What If...? airs Wednesdays on Disney+.

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