So, Who Are Marvel's Eternals, and Who's Playing Them? Let's Break It Down

The Maleficent: Mistress of Evil actress plays Thena, a character that has been around since 1976. There are multiple iterations of her character, so it will be interesting to see which storyline Marvel opts for in the film. If the movie follows the 2006 Eternals title, we'll likely see Thena with no recollection of her history as an immortal superhuman, due to reality warping by a character named Sprite. Instead, she ends up as a researcher at Stark Enterprises and marries a human named Thomas Eliot, later welcoming a son. It's not until the arrival of Ikaris (played by Richard Madden) that Thena's true past will be revealed.

So, what is her past? Originally, Thena is introduced as the warrior daughter of the Eternal Zuras, and their relationship has strong parallels to Zeus and Athena. She's seen bopping around Athens, and is known for her impressive intellect thanks to studying with mortal and Eternals teachers.

Madden (Rocketman) takes on the role of Ikaris, an immortal being fueled by cosmic energy who was actually said to be the father of the mythological Icarus in the comics. If the film keeps close to the 2006 story, we'll see Ikaris regaining his memories first and tracking down his fellow Eternals to do battle against the Deviants.

Harington will assume the role of Dane Whitman, aka the Black Knight. Although Dane took the Black Knight mantle from his uncle, who fought against the Avengers, he's determined to bring honor to the persona.

Chan is set to play Sersi, a member of The Eternals with the power to cast and manipulate cosmic energy. In the comics, she also shares a romantic history with the Black Knight, so don't be surprised if we see Chan and Harington get close on screen.

The Men in Black: International actor has signed on to play Kingo, who is a master swordsman and uses his skills to become a successful actor and producer in Hollywood. Since Nanjiani has impeccable comedic timing, we have our fingers crossed that Kingo will bring plenty of laughs to the role.

In the comics, Phastos has a genius-level intellect which serves him well as an inventor and engineer for the Eternals. However, we know that Phastos is also full of sorrow and melancholy, having decided that life is meaningless. Something tells us Henry (Child's Play) will bring a level of pathos to the role.

With a knack for torturing others and serving as deputy prime minister of Vorozheika, a fictional country in the Soviet Republic, Druig is another immortal superhuman. His abilities include flying, telepathy, mind control, and energy emission.

Makkari originally appears as a white man in the Marvel comics, so we can't wait to see what Ridloff (The Walking Dead) does with the role (it'll mark the MCU's first-ever deaf superhero!). As far as the character is concerned, Makkari has superspeed, and is known for getting involved in earthling affairs — like the Trojan War and the Battle of the Alamo — far more than the other Eternals.

Another gender swap! Hayek plays Ajak, who is the leader of the Eternals. In the comics, the character is based in Central America, where he is worshiped as a god by the Aztecs, Incas, and other indigenous populations. While at Comic-Con, The Hummingbird Project actress told the audience that her character is a "strong woman" who has "a lot of mother instincts" even though she's "not supposed to have kids."

South Korean actor Don Lee plays Gilgamesh, a name you'll likely recognize if you studied Mesopotamia in school. His character is exiled and dubbed "The Forgotten One," but also uses his time to become the strongest member of the Eternals (at least physically).

Sprite also appears as a man in the comics, so it'll be cool to see the young American Woman star taking on the role. Although physically a child, the character is also an Eternal and therefore extremely powerful (think Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, only with superpowers). In the 2006 comic storyline, Sprite takes revenge against his fellow Eternals for always treating him like a child by removing all their memories, powers, and records.