Eternals Will Stream On Disney+ Next Month

Chloé Zhao's expansive Marvel movie about the oldest superheroes in the universe, "Eternals" is making its way to the Disney+ streaming service. While the movie received a mixed reception in theaters, it will now get a second chance to impress, and this time people can watch from the comfort of their couches. Sometimes a change of venue is just what you need to be able to appreciate something, so here's hoping "Eternals" can find some love when it hits streaming on January 12, 2022.

Writer/director Chloé Zhao swung for the fences with "Eternals," following heroes who have existed since before the dawn of mankind to protect the Earth from danger. These Eternals are more than superheroes; they're more like gods, and Zhao's epic tale lends itself more to classic mythology than modern superhero stories. While that proved to be a little too esoteric for some viewers, having time to sit with the film (and take bathroom breaks!) might help more folks wrap their minds around this audacious Marvel debut. 

The movie will stream exclusively on Disney+ in the IMAX Enhanced format, which provides a larger picture with an expanded aspect ratio to simulate the IMAX theater experience. Thirteen other Marvel Cinematic Universe features are already available to stream in IMAX Enhanced on the service, for comic fans who want to get the most bang for their buck.

"Eternals" garnered big buzz for its massive ensemble cast, which includes Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Lia McHugh, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Barry Keoghan, Lauren Ridloff, Kit Harrington, Don Lee, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie. It also surprised fans with two major credit sequence cameos that will help set up the next phase of Marvel's movies. 

While "Eternals" didn't get the kind of reception that Marvel had hoped for, they were taking a big gamble on such an obscure and esoteric property, and Zhao's directing style is very different from the quip-a-minute high-energy direction that's become the standard in many Marvel movies. It's refreshing that they're willing to take a shot on such an ambitious and unique story, and hopefully they'll continue to provide creators with an opportunity to go wild in their IP sandbox. 

It's pretty unlikely that we'll see any kind of "Eternals 2," though some of the characters from this sprawling epic are sure to find their way into other MCU stories. The credits cameos will certainly show up again, as their cameos were only teaser introductions to get fans hyped, but we should expect to see at least a few of the Eternals showing up in other MCU franchises. Heck, with "Spider-Man: No Way Home" coming to theaters on December 17, 2021, we could see some of them sooner than later.

Check out "Eternals" when it streams exclusively on Disney+ on January 12, 2022.