Here’s all the reasons why ‘Eternals’ is the worst Marvel movie ever
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has long dominated the global box office with its interconnected storytelling and star-driven spectacles, yet even its most ambitious entries can land unevenly with critics and audiences. Eternals arrived in 2021 as one of the most expensive and expansive films in the franchise, introducing an entirely new cast of cosmic beings tied to the origins of humanity. The project carried sky-high expectations after years of teases in earlier MCU entries, but it quickly became clear the film would stand apart from the usual formula. Years later, it still holds the distinction of the lowest critical score among all MCU releases, prompting ongoing debate about what went wrong.
Box office
Final numbers told a clearer story than the early previews. Eternals finished with $164.9 million domestically and $402.1 million worldwide, against production costs estimated between $200 million and $236.2 million. Those figures placed the film well below the performance of comparable MCU tentpoles and marked it as a financial disappointment for Disney. While preview grosses looked promising in the moment, the theatrical run never accelerated enough to offset the ballooning budget. The gap between cost and return left the project in an awkward spot within the studio's slate.
Reviews
Current metrics show Eternals sitting at 48 percent on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer with a 77 percent audience score. It remains the only MCU entry to receive a Rotten rating from critics and continues to hold the franchise's lowest critic aggregate. Some reviewers faulted the film for moving too slowly and for abandoning the snappy banter that defines most Marvel entries. Director Chloé Zhao later reflected in 2025 that the unlimited resources available during production felt dangerous, comparing the unexpected backlash to the experience of raising a child who grows up differently than imagined. Audience scores stayed notably higher, suggesting many viewers found value in the scope even when professional reviews stayed cool.
Legacy and MCU Future
Post-credits sequences teased future appearances for Eros, Pip, and the Black Knight with an eye toward a Blade connection. Those threads never materialized into announced sequels or substantial follow-up appearances through Phase 6. Kevin Feige confirmed in 2024 that no immediate plans existed for Eternals 2. The absence of payoff left several cast members in narrative limbo and underscored how quickly studio priorities can shift away from an underperforming property.
Streaming and Home Release Performance
Disney+ numbers painted a different picture than the theatrical run. Eternals broke early viewing records on the platform and accumulated 4.236 billion viewing hours in 2022 according to Nielsen data. The strong home performance suggested the film found a second life with viewers who skipped theaters or wanted to revisit its expansive world-building. That contrast highlighted how platform economics can sometimes rescue projects that stumble at the multiplex.
Director's Retrospective
Chloé Zhao spoke openly in later interviews about the challenges of working inside the MCU machine. She described the experience of having near-unlimited budget as something that could blunt creative instincts and noted that critical reaction often lands years after a film wraps. Her comments added context to the production's scale and to the gap between studio expectations and final reception. Zhao expressed continued interest in returning to the characters despite the lack of immediate sequel momentum.
Awards and Technical Achievements
Despite the critical drubbing, Eternals earned several nominations and wins in technical categories. Visual effects teams received praise for rendering ancient civilizations and cosmic-scale action sequences that stood out from typical MCU spectacle. The film's thematic focus on immortality, morality, and humanity's long arc drew attention even when screenwriting choices drew fire. Those achievements kept the project visible in awards conversations and gave it a lasting footprint beyond opening-weekend discourse.
