The MCU lore is increasingly convoluted, and it'll only get worse

[Special Puppy]

Now that the trailer for Thor has finally dropped, we learned that the just like in the comics, the Olympian like Zeus gods exist for real as an alien race, just like the Asgardians.

And that's fine if you forget that like three movies ago Eternals established that the real-life Greek mythology were stories based on the Eternal characters instead of these Olympian aliens. But now they're real group of people like the Asgardians, with costumes inspired by Ancient Greece (or was it the other way around?). Did Arishem get in contact with the real Olympians and invent these backstories for the Eternals? Is the goddess Athena that was worshipped in Greece based on Thena from Eternals or Olympian Athena?

It's a bit confusing but obviously we have to wait for the movie to come out etc. But still, it makes me think about how they have to introduce the entire race of vampires in Blade who probably existed since the dawn of time. Oh, and now we have Egyptian gods too! And the mutants are coming someday somehow...

Do you care about lore consistency at all? I sort of care, but at the end of the day GA don't and just want to enjoy their experience.

 

[Yesterday]

They're based on comics so this was inevitable

 

[KadeYuy]

Just pull an obiwan. It's all true from a certain point of view

 

[deimosmasque]

As someone who adores the minutiae of comic lore. You also have to remember not to think about it too hard.

 

[AlgusUnderdunk]

Just assume the audience hasn't watched The Eternals and all will be well.

 

[KtotheRoc]

I'm just curious if we'll get an MCU Hercules film.

 

[Night Terror]

I was looking for some Arishem backstory earlier today and in comics it seems he contacted Earth gods at some point. Guess the same will happen here.

 

[Aiqops]

Nothing in superhero comics makes sense lore and time wise and nobody is ever truly dead.

Don't try to analize these movies too much.

 

[LegalEagleMike]

Id rather this type of entertainment just focus on the fun than worry about lore continuity...its comic books after all. If the choice is alien greek gods or no alien greek gods, give me the gods, especially if Christian Bale might murder all of them.

 

[Deleted member 43]

That example isn't really a contradiction. The ancient Greeks could have just ascribed the actions of the Eternals to other beings.

 

[Callibretto]

Kingo mention little Thor used to run around after him. So the greek gods might have also interact with eternals and greek Athena is named after Thena

 

[brinstar]

I feel like both of those things can still be true

 

[MazeHaze]

Multiverse. Time travel. Retcons. Comics

 

[Helix]

tbf there is nothing preventing the Greek Pantheon to use the names used by Eternals. anything can be justified in and especially comics and comic book storylines

 

[TheDestructiveSquirrel]

Just remember that all the supreme beings are still nothing compared to Kevin Feige

 

[Mancha]

And it's brilliant. Audiences will keep up, don't worry.

 

[AstronaughtE]

Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think audience will put too much stock in what the eternals have said.

 

[Mancha]

As for Athena and Thena:

 

[RPGam3r]

My brain has already tried to push Eternals off into its own universe. Easily the worst MCU entry. Anything it introduced I can relearn about in some better content.

 

[Hollywood Duo]

Eternals was a trash movie that they'll probably forget about. Thor is the main event.

 

[Dodongo]

A wizard did it.

 

[Mesoian]

And people are here for it, every time, in droves.

This isn't a problem at all, it's a feature.

 

[Joe]

I forget, did the Eternals movie actually establish that the Greek pantheon was based on The Eternals? Or is that just a thing from the comics that people are filling into the MCU because the names are, admittedly, similar?

Because if it's just the names, more than one person can have a name. Hell, there are three dudes named Chris acting in Infinity War, two characters named James, and two named Peter.

 

[Cipherr]

I think there's a ton of people that dont watch every MCU film yet still enjoy a flick here and there. Its not a big deal.

 

[Mesoian]

I forget, did the Eternals movie actually establish that the Greek pantheon was based on The Eternals? Or is that just a thing from the comics that people are filling into the MCU because the names are, admittedly, similar?

Because if it's just the names, more than one person can have a name. Hell, there are three dudes named Chris acting in Infinity War, two characters named James, and two named Peter.

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If I had to guess, that's going to be a big part of Moon Knight. But considering neither Moon Knight or Eternals really set the world on fire, I also wouldn't be surprised if they just don't elaborate and go to the stuff that people like more, especially surrounding the multiverse.

 

[Nordic4tKnight]

I forget, did the Eternals movie actually establish that the Greek pantheon was based on The Eternals? Or is that just a thing from the comics that people are filling into the MCU because the names are, admittedly, similar?

Because if it's just the names, more than one person can have a name. Hell, there are three dudes named Chris acting in Infinity War, two characters named James, and two named Peter.

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Only some of them, others were named after other cultures God's and Legends.

 

[Slayven]

if they had a sizable worship all gods exist, even alien gods

As for Athena and Thena:

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[Tathanen]

Eternals and Thor were certainly in degrees of overlapping production, I don't think there's any kind of late stage inconsistency or retcon going on here. They'll probably make it work one way or another.

 

[CountAntonio]

and yet i will still enjoy the hell out of them. I'm not really critical on these types of movies as long as I am entertained.

 

[BasilZero]

Multiverse. Time travel. Retcons. Comics

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This

Also Eternals was horrible to the point where it is best forgotten.

 

[Digital Dinosaur]

The opening narration of Thor 1 kind of established the loophole for ever after: "Mankind took us to be their gods". Basically, multiple beings fulfilling the criteria of mythological figures can simultaneously exist.

 

[Royalan]

The opening narration of Thor 1 kind of established the loophole for ever after: "Mankind took us to be their gods". Basically, multiple beings fulfilling the criteria of mythological figures can simultaneously exist.

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I mean, this is still overdone.

 

[LProtagonist]

Well, this is how comics work. So it makes sense that it's how comic book movies work too.

 

[sfedai0]

The majority will not even notice or remember. This is a nerd forum so stuff like this will get nitpicked. I dont even remember anything about the Eternals and I watched that last month.,

 

[spad3]

Idk, I actually enjoyed Eternals with a few exceptions (having Ikaris betray the team rather than Ajak was an interesting twist).

I think it was a necessary film to establish some of the history of the grand-scheme of a Marvel Universe, one that actually forces writers to discuss origins of Gods and myths and not just gloss over them.

One thing important thing to keep in mind (major Eternals spoilers): NONE of the Eternals have any memory of anything after each mission they're sent on. Their involvement on Earth was exclusively to nurture the planet's beings long enough for Tiamut to gain enough energy to emerge. The Eternals are reset after every mission as seen by the effects the resets have had on Thena (and as seen in the beginning of the movie). Eternals may have knowledge of other Gods and they are 100% allowed to exist outside of whatever humanity believes. Those other Gods also may have had some level of influence and followers on Earth outside of the Eternals' influence. The Greek, Egyptian, and Norse pantheons can easily have existed simultaneously as the Eternals.

 

[odiin]

I'm not worried about it! I'm not worried about any of this. There's worse shit on the local news.

 

[Dalek]

Thank god for this. It's why I love comics. The more minutiae the more story possibilities there are. All multiverse all the time.

 

[Jedi2016]

After seeing Eternals a second time, I'm pretty sure its sole purpose was to introduce these other elements of the cosmic-god mythology that will come up later. I assume they tossed around ideas on how to introduce all of it, and decided it needed its own film.

As for the apparent conflict in origins and names, it was made clear in Eternals that their "home" of Olympia wasn't even real, it's quite likely that Arishem just borrowed the name of Olympia from Olympus, and perhaps of the gods themselves, when he created the Eternals. "Those names sound cool, I'll change them just a little bit so they can't claim copyright".

 

[Mancha]

if they had a sizable worship all gods exist, even alien gods

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Which is the premise of the Gorr storyline, thank you. Basically, in the Marvel Universe gods exist because people have faith on them. Both Athena and Thena exist in Marvel Comics, they existing in the MCU if anything it makes sense. The world building in the MCU is absolutely insane, but I wouldn't have any other way.

 

[Nikus]

I'm not worried about it! I'm not worried about any of this. There's worse shit on the local news.

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Spoken like Odin.

 

[Supercrap]

Yeah I mean in the past anything crazy done by some alien or super human or mutant was a "God" over thousands of years in different places things happened. It doesn't have to mutually exclusive

 

[Autumn]

No one is paying that much attention to these movies.

You enjoy the comedy/explosions and move on with your day.

 

[The Shape]

There's nothing more convoluted than comic books, so it's only fitting.

 

[Slayven]

Which is the premise of the Gorr storyline, thank you. Basically, in the Marvel Universe gods exist because people have faith on them. Both Athena and Thena exist in Marvel Comics, they existing in the MCU if anything it makes sense. The world building in the MCU is absolutely insane, but I wouldn't have any other way.

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[AniHawk]

the more i think about it, the more i think phase 4 shoulda just started as a hard shift away from 1-3.

brand new slate of superheroes in a new continuity, and then in phase 5 do your multiverse shenanigans where you bring back some ogs like thor and loki, and have it build to the showdown in phase 6.

 

[Mancha]

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I love it.

 

[Charred Knight]

Basically this dates back to the fact that Eternals was never meant to be part of regular Marvel continuity, but then Mark Gruenwald brought it in the late 70's and established that in ancient times Eternals and the Greek Pantheon were mistaken for each other, and that they made a truce with Azura being renamed Thena to establish this truce. He also established that Thanos was an eternal.

Mark Guenwald so loved doing this shit that other writers created Mobius M Mobius as an honor to his love of connecting different continuity.

How Can Eternals and Greek Gods Both Exist in the MCU?

Thor: Love and Thunder will introduce Zeus and the other MCU Greek gods. But how does that mesh with mythology established in Eternals?

nerdist.com

 

[TheDarkKnight]

Welcome to comics

They're modern fables that are stories that never end

and for non-comic readers that might have mocked it from the outside years ago, its just one more step down the rabbit hole they go.

First it was power levels discussions, then DC vs Marvel wars and now timelines, retcons, and multiverse!

 

[KeyBladerXIII]

For me, I just ignore Eternals. Works pretty well.

 

[Emwitus]

Id rather this type of entertainment just focus on the fun than worry about lore continuity...its comic books after all. If the choice is alien greek gods or no alien greek gods, give me the gods, especially if Christian Bale might murder all of them.

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This is how things were before and it was boring as hell. MCU is the MCU because of continuity. Take that out and you are back to square one.