Eternals maintains its success at the box office, but its consequences are even more profound than we imagine. This is not just another Marvel Studios movie, according to The Independent, the new superhero film has not only achieved excellent numbers but has made audiences empathize with the deaf community. After Eternals hit the big screen, there has been an increase in sign language searches. This effect is thanks to Makkari, the character played by Lauren Ridloff, who has become one of the audience’s favorite heroines.
Eternals, the new Marvel movie
Eternals, an incredible film that introduces us to a team of heroes as we have never seen before in the film industry. For thousands of years, they remained on Earth fighting against the Deviants and protecting humanity, but something is hidden behind that will make the protagonists fight for an unexpected goal.
Marvel’s first deaf superheroine
One of the new superheroines is Makkari, portrayed by Ridloff, who charmed the audience with her charisma and incredible powers to travel the world in just a few seconds. The interest in this character is noticeable in the number of searches conducted by Preply, an app used for language learning. According to it, the search “learn sign language for beginners” has increased 250% during the year. Is it the “Eternals effect”? Well, this movie has taught us something very important: Inclusion matters.
Audiences have wanted to connect with Makkari beyond screens, and if that wasn’t enough, Lauren Ridloff has become popular with a 550% increase in internet searches. As Marvel’s first deaf superheroine, her presence has had a great positive influence on the public. Thank you, Marvel, for introducing us to this innovative movie that has managed to move everyone from day one, hopefully, this is the beginning and we will see more characters like her succeeding on the big screen.
Will there be a sequel for Eternals?
The company has not yet confirmed a sequel formally, but it’s clear in the post-credit scenes that this story and these characters will appear in the future of the MCU. One of the two post-credits scenes reads “The Eternals will return,” so we can be certain that we will see them in the future, including the great Makkari. Marvel better take advantage of the incredible talent of the characters.
The Eternals show us the great diversity and inclusion that Marvel Studios has worked on in recent years. Great characters leave Latinos, African Americans, Asians, and members of the LGBTQ+ community standing tall, highlighting that most of them are female leaders.
Although this film suffered a barrage of negative ratings on sites like Rotten Tomatoes, being something new -never seen before- we could expect it. However, Eternals has been able to handle that and more, as its reviews have improved as the days go by, not to mention that it has grossed $165 globally, a super hit for the studio amid the pandemic.
It may be a long time before we see our favorite Eternals back again, but Marvel fans will have their dose of hero awesomeness with the upcoming release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, a movie that that’s generated a lot of speculation and that will be released this next December 17.
Translated by María Isabel Carrasco Cara Chards
Photos from Marvel Studios
