Apparently We May Not Have Seen the Last of ETERNALS Star Richard Madden as the MCU’s Ikaris
Say what you will about Eternals, but Marvel Studios assembled one of the most stacked casts in the MCU for that film. Now it looks like we may not have seen the last of Richard Madden’s Ikaris, despite his fiery exit in the movie’s finale.
Eternals split audiences right down the middle. Some loved its ambitious cosmic scope, others weren’t impressed. But film film delivered a dramatic gut punch when Ikaris killed Ajak and worked in secret to ensure Arishem’s emergence from Earth.
In the end, when his fellow Eternals chose to protect humanity, Ikaris flew directly into the sun, seemingly ending both his life and Madden’s MCU run.
At this point, a direct Eternals sequel doesn’t look very likely, but the film left things wide open. Fans have long speculated that Ikaris may not be gone for good.
Considering Arishem’s power and the Eternals’ comic book history with resurrection, it’s not hard to imagine Ikaris returning through a replica body or some other cosmic workaround. After all, being “eternal” usually means death isn’t the final chapter.
This month, a version of Ikaris will appear in Marvel Animation’s Marvel Zombies, though Madden isn’t expected to voice that undead variant. Still, scooper @MyTimeToShineH has dropped a tease, claiming that “he’s gonna be back for more.” No details on when or where, but if true, Marvel clearly isn’t done with Ikaris just yet.
Madden himself once cast doubt on a return, joking, “Well, he flew into the sun. That’s kind of hard to come back from. Isn’t it?”
Meanwhile, Madden has kept busy with Prime Video’s Citadel, and he continues to be a fan-favorite choice for the next James Bond. He’s also often imagined in fan casts for DC characters like Batman.
Whether or not Marvel revisits the Eternals in a major way, the door is clearly still cracked open for Ikaris. If Madden really is set to return, fans are going to be watching closely to see how Marvel pulls off his resurrection.
What do you think? Should the MCU bring back Ikaris and the Eternals, or should Marvel move on?
