‘Eternals’: Why Producers Wanted Marvel’s New Speedster to Look Different From DC’s The Flash

Several superpowers are so ordinary that Marvel and DC inevitably overlap. Super strength, flight, laser eyes, and super speed belong to many superheroes. However, Eternals producer Nate Moore wanted to lessen the overlap between Marvel and DC speedsters The Flash and Makkari.

Marvel’s ‘The Eternals’ trailer gave fans a first look at Lauren Ridloff’s Makkari

The Eternals trailer gave fans a first look at several of the titular heroes. Angelina Jolie’s Thena summoned mystic weapons. Richard Madden’s Ikaris flew and fired his laser vision.

Black-and-you-miss-her Lauren Ridloff’s Makkari appeared for a split second in The Eternals trailer. It can be hard to keep up with super speed.

Despite Makkari being the third super-speed character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC has far more heroes with the power.

And Moore knew this well. He wanted to differentiate how Marvel’s speedster worked compared to DC’s fastest man alive.

Marvel used different speed effects from DC’s Speed Force users

One of the most iconic aspects of the Flash comes from the crackling lightning around him. Moore wanted to go in a different direction.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first two speedsters, Quicksilver and Wanda’s illusory son Tommy, possessed super speed. However, their powers only showed as a blur rushing around the screen.

“Some of the characters do have powers you’ve seen before,” Moore said to ComicBook.com. “We’ve talked about Makkari’s super speed. Obviously, there’s a very famous DC character who runs very fast.”

The obvious comparison between Marvel and DC’s characters pushed for more aesthetic changes.

“For us, it’s how do we express that visually in ways that are different. And again, we think the notion that each Eternal is powered by cosmic energy can be fun as a visual thing to play with.”

Instead of relying on lightning imagery like Barry Allen and Wally West’s heroes, Moore focused on using her cosmic origins.

Marvel portrays speed with particles while DC uses lightning

Moore wanted more differences between Marvel and DC’s speedy characters. Some fans unfamiliar with The Eternals might think the studio took certain aspects from The Flash.

However, Moore has faith in the route Eternals took with Makkari.

“In this case, you see the cosmic energy particles surrounding her. You see sort of that leading edge of the sonic concussive blast that she can use in battle that makes her a bit different than what you’ve seen before,” Moore said.

Makkari will not be the only hero with these cosmic particles. Salma Hayek’s Ajak, Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo, and all the Eternals have this aesthetic.

“Again, that motif of cosmic energy that sort of encases our heroes, you’ll see in everyone else’s powers,” Moore said.

Makkari and the rest of the Eternals dash into theaters on November 5, 2021.