Eternals Vs. The Avengers: Which MCU Team Is Better?

The Avengers are arguably the most famous and iconic group of superheroes ever put to screen. And whilst there are plenty of other heroes (and villains) who have come together to form their own squads over the years, nobody has ever done it quite as memorably as Iron Man, Captain America, and the various others who have come and gone from the roster.

But with the release of Chloe Zhao’s Eternals last year, audiences were forced to reconsider exactly what a superhero team looks and acts like. With a much more diverse and varied selection of heroes, much more intense and complex abilities, and much higher stakes, the Eternals quickly proved themselves to be an extremely effective force to be reckoned with.

The Avengers

Self-Made Heroes

Most of the original Avengers (perhaps with the exception of Thor) were not born with their superhuman abilities. Iron Man had to build his own armor, Rogers and Banner both gained their powers as a result of chemical or biological interference, and Natasha and Clint are both trained martial artists/spies.

Their struggle for power and strength is exactly what makes them so compelling as heroes, and the reason that audiences have become so invested in their overall journeys. Whilst the Eternals are literally created with their powers ready to use, the Avengers had to work for them, and that makes them much more engaging.

Human Relationships

Over the years, the Avengers have seen several relationships form within their ranks. Whether it’s between Natasha and Bruce, Wanda and Vision, or even Tony and Pepper, the group is never short of compelling relationships to keep their characters grounded and vulnerable.

Although not every MCU relationship lasts very long, there are still plenty that play a huge role in the development of the characters and the progression of their stories. Take Wanda and Vision, for example. The MCU devoted an entire TV show to exploring their relationship and their unique dynamic, which is going to prove crucial for the future of Wanda’s character in the Marvel Universe.

Bound T0 Earth

Although the adventures of the Avengers aren’t always restricted to the confines of our planet, there’s no denying that the majority of their work and battles take place here. They cover a wide range of areas, with characters like Peter Parker, Hawkeye and Falcon mostly fighting crime on a street/neighborhood level, and characters like Thor and Doctor Strange tackling more global and multiversal threats.

Sticking to Earth often makes their adventures much more relatable and exciting, since audiences are familiar with the locations and dynamics of the planet, making the stakes feel much more personal. It also raises pressure for the characters themselves, as they’re fighting to protect their own home.

Celebrity Status

Within the world of the MCU, there’s nobody on planet Earth who doesn’t know the Avengers. Even since their disbandment following Stark’s death and the defeat of Thanos, they’re still incredibly famous as individuals. The inclusion of Rogers: The Musical in Hawkeye is just one of the examples of how they’ve firmly rooted themselves in Earth’s culture forever.

The Eternals, on the other hand, are still fairly unknown. They might have saved the world from the emergence of a Celestial, but they’re nowhere near the level of fame and recognition as the original Avengers. This fits in with their policy of remaining undetected and uncredited for their work, but it certainly makes them less compelling and exciting as characters.

Cultural Impact

The Avengers, at least as a concept, has been around since the very first entry in the MCU, Iron Man. The film was released in 2008, which makes the superhero team almost fourteen years old right now. That’s a lot of time for audiences to connect with these characters, so it seems fair to concede that they’re probably more important to fans than the Eternals (at least right now).

There’s no saying how popular or successful the Eternals will be in the future, but it seems impossible to argue right now that they have anywhere near the level of influence and cultural impact as the Avengers, who have grown to be some of the most iconic and recognizable characters ever put to the big screen.

The Eternals

Diverse Roster

One of the strongest selling points of the recent Eternals movie is the diverse and varied assortment of characters at the forefront of the story. With heroes of completely different ages, sexes and ethnicities, it’s no surprise that the team ended up being much more inclusive and eclectic than audiences have ever seen from the Avengers.

Diversity is extremely important in any form of media, but it’s doubly important in superhero movies, to prove to audiences that anybody can do great things, regardless of their physical appearance or capabilities. Eternals does this perfectly, and it’s easily the most noteworthy aspect of the team.

Physical Strength

The question of “who would win in a fight” is one that’s constantly pondered by comic book fans all over the world, but a hypothetical battle between the Avengers and the Eternals would almost certainly end in defeat for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (if only considering the original roster). The abilities of the Eternals – their strength, speed, power, intelligence, experience – outmatch the Avengers’ at almost every turn.

Although we probably haven’t seen the full extent of the Eternals’ powers yet, it seems safe to assume that the team will be returning to the MCU in the near future, even if that isn’t in a direct sequel to their story. Perhaps the team may even come into conflict with the new Avengers at some point, which would certainly make for an interesting battle.

Understanding Of The Universe

The Eternals aren’t human – they’re a breed of near-immortal synthetic beings that were created by the Celestials to help protect potential host planets for the emergence. Because of this, they have a much deeper and richer understanding of the universe than the Avengers will ever have, not least because of the amount of time they’ve been alive.

Their intelligence is one of the Eternal’s best powers, and it’s what sets them apart from many of Earth’s heroes. Even the most powerful allies of the Avengers – Wanda, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange – haven’t been alive for even a fraction of the time that the Eternals have. They know the universe inside out, and would definitely use that to their advantage.

Working In The Shadows

For the countless years that the Eternals have lived on Earth, they’ve managed to remain mostly undetected as they protect the planet from the deviants. And considering the size and scale of those creatures, that’s no easy feat. Their secret existence gives them a huge advantage as superheroes, as they don’t have to deal with the same fame and recognition as the Avengers.

Although this fame can often make the Avengers’ interactions more exciting and entertaining, it’s much better from a practical perspective to keep your identity secret and not flash your abilities to the public. The Eternals have this huge advantage when it comes to their place within the MCU.

Immortality

Although the Eternals aren’t strictly impossible to kill, they possess a level of immortality that the Avengers could only dream of having. They’ve lived through countless years without even aging, acquiring new abilities and knowledge throughout their time on Earth. The Eternals may all have varying levels of power, but their strength as a squad is almost unmatched.

Their immortality also gives them a huge advantage in battle, as it would take so much more force to take them down than would be necessary to subdue an Avenger. They’ll always rise back up and fight until their last breath, which would be almost impossible for them to reach.

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