Maybe some viewers are wondering if Thanos is an Eternals in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? This question is probably more interested after the mid-credits part of the movie The Eternals.
1. In the comics, Thanos is actually an Eternal, but he has Deviant’s syndrome
In the comics, exactly Thanos is an Eternal. He was born to a couple of the Eternal race, A’lars and Sui-San. However, Thanos has Deviant syndrome, making him look more like Deviant than Eternal. Purple skin and unique physical features set Thanos apart from his brother Eros.
And below is an image of Eros in the Marvel comic version.
Eros aka Starfox.
2. The introduction of Eros in the mid-credits of The Eternals confirms that in the MCU, Eros is Eternal, so in theory Thanos should also be an Eternal
Shape of Eros aka Starfox in the MCU
In the mid-credits scene of The Eternals, Pip the Troll introduces Eros as the prince of Titan and brother to Thanos. Later, Eros called Earth Eternals “Fellow Eternals”.
Earlier, in Infinity War, the Red Skull welcomed Thanos with the nickname “Thanos, son of A’lars.” And A’lars is also the name of Thanos’ father in the comics.
This situation seems to suggest that Thanos’ setting in the MCU may not be much different from that of the comics. He may actually be an Eternal but has Deviant syndrome (because of his different appearance from Eros) and the son of A’lars.
So how did A’lars have two children? Interestingly, in the Eternals: Thanos Rises comics, A’lars and Sui-San initially had trouble having children. The two were then able to have children with the help of the Quantum Band, given to them by Kronos, the father of A’lars.
So it’s possible that in the movie version, A’lars also uses an unusual method to have children, even though he’s Eternal.
3. Perhaps the audience has to wait for another The Eternals movie to come out to get a specific answer
Thanos and Eros in the MCU
We need to remember that the MCU often presents stories unlike in the comics. For example Ikaris, who in the comics is the hero but turns out to be the villain in the movie.
For now, it looks like Thanos will have a similar background as in the comics. (His father is A’lars, his brother is Eros, so he is likely an Eternal). But there’s still the possibility that Eros is lying, for example. Since we still don’t know too much about Eros so far, it is impossible to know how trustworthy he is.
So though many factors now indicate that Thanos could very well be the Eternals. But for sure we seem to have to wait for the sequel to The Eternal to come out, to find out if Eros is being honest, and what the story of the Eternals on Titan is. Either that, or we have to wait for an official answer from someone like Kevin Feige or Eternals director Chloe Zhao for example.