Could The Avengers Actually Be Lead By Richard Madden's Eternals Character? Here's What The Actor Says

Ikaris (Richard Madden) looks series in Eternals (2021)

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is bringing in a slew of new characters over the course of Phase Four. This includes the incredibly powerful Eternals, who are officially set to enter the franchise via their eponymous film later this year. Of course, while new characters are entering the MCU, others have left within the past few years like Avengers leaders Captain America and Iron Man. So could someone like Richard Madden’s Ikaris swoop in to help guide Earth’s Mightiest Heroes forward? Well, Madden has some diplomatic thoughts on the prospect.

The first trailer for Eternals featured an end tag that referenced the Avengers. During a meal, the cosmic beings discussed the team, specifically who might lead them now that Tony Stark and Steve Rogers are no longer in the picture. Richard Madden’s Ikaris suggested that he could possibly lead them, which was met by a chorus of laughter from his fellow Eternals. Richard Madden, however, was a bit more thoughtful when he spoke to our sister site Total Film (via Twitter’s @CreamOrScream) about that chances of it happening:

I don't know. I know that he's a good leader and a good soldier. If those are two traits that you need to lead the Avengers, then he has them. But I wouldn't be able to predict that.

While Richard Madden isn’t sure if it’ll actually happen, he doesn’t seem to shoot down the idea completely. As he mentions, Ikaris is a good leader and could likely bring his vast knowledge (which he’s amassed over thousands of years) to any Avengers team. And there’s also the matter of his extraterrestrial abilities.

Ikaris, like the other Eternals, has been on Earth for over 7,000 years, and was sent to the planet to protect humans from the Deviants. Though they all have extraordinary powers, Ikaris is arguably the most powerful of the group. Not only can he fly but he has superhuman strength and the ability to shoot cosmic energy beams from his eyes. You can get a taste of what he can do by checking out the latest trailer down below:

Considering how important Ikaris is to the Eternals, there’s a firm chance he won’t end up leading the MCU’s next iteration of Avengers. That job will likely go to new Captain America Sam Wilson or even Carol Danvers. You can check out the Avengers’ previous exploits by streaming the films on Disney+, which you can sign up for using this link.

Even if Ikaris doesn’t end up joining the Avengers, it doesn’t mean he still won’t fight alongside the heroes at some point. One would assume that the Eternals and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will team up down the road. And if (or when they do), it could be a sight to behold.

Eternals releases in theaters on November 5, 2021.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.