‘Eternals’ Druig and the Ultimate Contradiction
A film that gave MCU fans ten incredibly interesting characters, it presents audiences with varying responses to the Celestial cause; which leads to the creation of Eternals Druig and the ultimate contradiction.
For as divisive a film as Eternals has proven to be, it cannot be overlooked how important the story is to the way in which we understand the Marvel Universe.
Source: Marvel Studios
Covering ten, near-immortal beings, Eternals explores the idea of blind faith, loyalty to an unknowable cause, the evolution and nature of humanity, and the obligatory good of the individual versus the good of the collective.
In Eternals, Chloe Zhao’s signature and incredibly unique visual style presented a narrative that asked superpowered individuals to measure the cost of one human life, and what that life is worth in the grand scale of evolutionary life in the universe.
Source: Marvel Studios
Zhao and company crafted these incredibly interesting characters, with powers vastly different, but all of interesting contextual importance to the question of the narrative, and their own development in the grand scheme of the story.
Perhaps there is no more interesting character, and more interesting moral dilemma, than that of the Eternals Druig and the ultimate contradiction.
Source: Marvel Studios
Of all ten of the Eternals, perhaps none are more interesting to truly consider than Druig; the black-clad and rebellious Eternal who has the power to control the minds of anyone around him, and influence what they think and do.
What makes Druig so interesting is that his ability is perhaps the most powerful, and could be the most dangerous on a mass scale.
Source: Marvel Studios
It is akin to Professor X of the X-Men, in that his power mus balanced by an incredible moral compass to keep the character from using it in a nefarious and self-serving way.
Yet, that is the prime reason why Druig is intriguing; for all of the rebellion that bubbles right at the surface of the character, there is immense wisdom and purity to him.
Source: Marvel Studios
It is this wisdom and purity that leads Druig to come to the realization that presents one of the key themes of the entire film; that despite his status as a pacifist who despises the brutal and self-serving nature of humanity, it is their flaws and failures that make them beautiful.
It is not only the wisdom and purity of Druig that contradicts the limitless self-serving that can be granted by his powers but how his eventual realization so perfectly contradicts the Eternals.
Source: Marvel
Without flaw, without failure, and without the propensity for evil, humanity would be robots driven to a specific end, with no free will to choose whether or not to get there; which perfectly contradicts the Eternals as living robots crafted and created for the cause of the Celestials.
It is Druig that does not use his power to serve himself, or his ideals, but understands that the beauty of humanity comes in their ability to look past their more evil tendencies and do what is right, and what is good; just like Druig does at the conclusion of the film.
Source: Marvel Studios
Eternals may have struggled to connect with audiences due to its dense narrative and regression into the classic Marvel formula, but it is clear that Eternals Druig is one of the many reasons why the film will remain one of the MCU’s most interesting.
