This Eternals Surprise Performer May Be Phase Four's Answer To Nick Fury

"Eternals" hits theaters this Friday, so if you haven't seen it yet (which probably applies to most people reading this), bookmark this page and come back to it later. Because we're about to spoil a big surprise cameo in the post-credits scene.

Even before the review embargo lifted, sites like CNN and Rolling Stone were reporting on this cameo, to the point where many are now treating it as common knowledge. Usually, we would wait until at least the day of release to run spoiler content. So we want to give you plenty of heads-up here and let you know again that we're about to reveal a major spoiler for "Eternals."

Still here? If so, that means you've somehow seen "Eternals" before the general public or don't mind having the credits scene spoiled.

Last spoiler warning...

After the credits roll, "Eternals" introduces the characters of Pip the Troll and Starfox (or Eros) into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Starfox is played by none other than Harry Styles, the One Direction pop star who crossed over into acting with Christoper Nolan's "Dunkirk."

Giant Freaking Robot cites "trusted and proven inside sources" that say "Styles is set to become a major part" of the MCU. I'm familiar with this site in name only and can't personally vouch for its track record. But it claims that Styles has signed a five-movie deal with Marvel Studios and they postulate that "a solo project for Starfox is a possibility."

In the comics, Starfox is the brother of Thanos, but he's usually depicted as being a happier, more well-adjusted hero, with a love for women and without a thought for genocide in his head. Among other things, he has "emotion manipulating powers," which caused Thanos to seal his mouth off with flesh in the "Infinity Gauntlet" series, not unlike what Agent Smith does to Neo in the interrogation room in "The Matrix."

Thanos is obviously dead already in the MCU, and in its pre-release promotions, "Eternals" has been bending over backwards to explain why it's heroes were absent during the events of "Avengers: Infinity War," when the Mad Titan snuffed out half of all life in the universe. It would need to do something similar for Starfox if they're going to keep his backstory as the brother of Thanos, unless he's just included in the whole not-interfering-in-human-history thing that the Eternals have going on. 

Another possibility, given recent developments in the animated series "What If...?," is that they'll use the multiverse to bring back an alternate version of Thanos. Giant Freaking Robot likens Styles' appearance in "Eternals" to that of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in the post-credits scene for "Iron Man." 

I would say you should take that with a massive grain of salt.

I have no doubt that they're setting Starfox up for future appearances in the MCU, but based on his comics history, it doesn't seem like there's much precedent for him to be as important as Nick Fury. All of this reeks of the kind of overblown fan fervor that accompanies most Marvel Studios releases, but we'll keep you posted if anything more develops.