Eternals may have been pushed back to November 2021, but the cosmic Marvel Phase 4 adventure was originally due out in just a few weeks.
As such, merchandising and marketing deals are locked into a release window way ahead of time – and may have led to this new Eternals leak featuring what could be the first look at a new MCU villain.
While we have to take this one with a Hulk-sized pinch of salt, Instagram user Dtapia22 has supposedly uncovered an Eternals toy from the Marvel Legends line out in the wild.
The box shows Kro – the leader of the Eternals-opposing Deviants in the comics – as a sinewy, skeletal figure with a red mark on his forehead. His appearance differs from what readers may expect, but could also hint at the new, perhaps darker, direction for the MCU’s grandest movie yet – one that director Chloe Zhao has even said aims to be “bigger” than Avengers: Endgame.
The back of the packaging could also reveal a little more about the Eternals villain and the movie itself.
Described as “a powerful Deviant unlike any other the Eternals has faced over the millenia,” Kro showing up is “the harbinger for a global threat.”
It remains to be seen whether Kro will join the likes of Loki and Thanos as fan-favourite Marvel villains, though at least it’s almost comforting to know that the Eternals villain doesn’t exactly look like a pushover – and could influence the MCU in a big way.
That’s what’s still to come in Marvel’s future. For a look at its past, check out our complete Marvel timeline and our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
