Marvel’s Eternals introduced fans to a new cosmic side of the MCU, but its finale left plenty of questions hanging. With Celestials, betrayals, and cliffhangers galore, many viewers were left wondering what it all meant. In this guide, we’ve got the Eternals ending explained, breaking down Ikaris’ fate, Arishem’s judgment, and the post-credit scenes that set up the future of the MCU.
What’s the Deal with Eternals
The Eternals are immortal beings created by the Celestials to protect humanity from monstrous Deviants. But there’s a twist: their mission also includes ensuring that Earth reaches a population size big enough to trigger the “Emergence” — the birth of a new Celestial, which would destroy the planet. That’s the moral dilemma the team faces in the film’s climax.
Key Events Before the End
Ajak and Gilgamesh die during the battles.
Ikaris, loyal to Arishem’s cosmic plan, betrays the group and opposes them. Sprite sides with him, driven by her feelings for Ikaris.
The remaining Eternals – Sersi, Phastos, Druig, Thena, Makkari, and Kingo — choose to defy their orders and save Earth.
The Climax: Stopping the Emergence
To stop the newborn Celestial Tiamut, the team creates the Uni-Mind, linking their powers together. This allows Sersi to channel incredible energy and transform Tiamut into stone before he can fully emerge. The Earth is saved – but at a great cost.
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What Happens to the Eternals
Ikaris can’t live with his guilt and flies into the sun, ending his life.
Sprite is turned human by Sersi so she can finally grow old and live a normal life.
Thena, Druig, and Makkari leave Earth to search for other Eternals and warn them about the Celestials’ true purpose.
After the dust settles, Arishem appears and takes Sersi, Phastos, and Kingo into space. He declares that although Earth has been spared, humanity will now be judged. Their fate, and the planet’s, hangs in the balance.
Post-Credit Scenes
The mid-credits and post-credits scenes set up Marvel’s future:
Eros (Thanos’ brother, played by Harry Styles) makes his MCU debut, offering help to the Eternals in space.
On Earth, Dane Whitman (Sersi’s boyfriend) uncovers the mystical Ebony Blade. Just before he touches it, a voice off-screen, revealed to be Blade, asks if he’s ready.
This scene sets up two huge possibilities: Dane stepping into his comic-book role as the Black Knight, and the potential formation of a darker, supernatural corner of the MCU. With Blade already confirmed to headline his own movie, we could see Dane team up with him or even with characters like Moon Knight and Doctor Strange in stories involving mystical threats and cursed artifacts.
Together, these teases point in two exciting directions for Marvel’s future — one cosmic, with the Eternals and Celestials, and one mystical, with the Black Knight and Blade.
The film ends with Earth saved, but Eternals fractured and facing an uncertain future. It’s one of Marvel’s most morally complex endings, where victory comes with sacrifice and the looming threat of judgment. As the MCU heads deeper into its cosmic saga, the fallout from Eternals is sure to shape what comes next.