Eternals‘ cliffhanger ending has been rumored to play into a surprising movie in the MCU’s Phase 5 in a major way.

The MCU has always been a heavily connected universe with the significant events of each project regularly affecting others. So, with over a year passed since Eternals left the deceased Celestial Tiamut sticking out of the Indian Ocean, many are wondering why it has yet to be addressed.

She-Hulk offered the first acknowledgment of the cosmic shocker after a news site was shown displaying a related article with the headline, “Why there is a giant statue of a man sticking out of the ocean.”

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was speculated by many to be the first to properly address the consequences of Eternals given the involvement of Namor and his underwater kingdom of Talokan. And after those theories failed to pay off, it now seems an MCU Phase 5 flick could be the first to utilize the fallen Celestial.

How Eternals Connects to Captain America 4 (Rumor)

Marvel Studios

Scooper DanielRPK shared the news on his Patreon claiming that 2024’s Captain America: New World Order will finally address the ending of 2021’s Eternals which left the deceased Celestial Tiamut sticking out of the Indian Ocean after being calcified by Gemma Chan’s Sersi.

The insider reported that the MCU sequel will be about an international conflict that emerges over Adamantium after the X-Men-related metal is discovered on Tiamut – who has now become an island since Eternals. He went on to state that “every country want a piece of [Adamantium] and to claim the island as their own.” 

Harrison Ford’s recast Thunderbolt Ross will supposedly be the villain of Captain America 4 – although there will be more involved including The Leader.

Having now become President of the United States, Ross will aim to claim the island and Adamantium “at all cost.” The rumor adds that Sam Wilson’s Captain America will stand in the way of these efforts by “assembling a new group of heroes to oppose him.”

For now, this news should be taken strictly as a rumor, with official details on Captain America: New World Order‘s plot remaining a closely guarded secret.

The MCU Goes To War Over Adamantium

Ever since the Eternals left one of the most powerful beings in the cosmos sticking out of the Indian Ocean, fans have been eagerly waiting for the MCU to address the large-scale catastrophe event. And of all the projects to involve the deceased Celestial, Captain America: New World Order was certainly a dark horse.

Naturally, the arrival of an enormous figure in the ocean would immediately draw the attention of world governments in an effort to be the first to investigate. So, a political franchise such as Captain America may actually be the perfect avenue to explore the Celestial’s impact, despite its lack of cosmic connections.

With the world, especially the US, currently on the warpath for Vibranium after Black Panther 2, the discovery of a potential rival to that material would undeniably spark a global conflict. Sam Wilson’s opposition to President Ross excavating Tiamut could come from a desire to prevent escalation into all-out war.

Although how exactly this global conflict will connect to the confirmed “paranoid thriller” genre of Captain America 4 remains unclear. No matter how this story plays out, the consequences of this discovery will likely impact other MCU projects, particularly Thunderbolts given its anticipated links to New World Order.

President Thunderbolt Ross’ mission to get his hands on Adamantium also directly sets the stage for him to launch the Weapon X program in the MCU. As this was the government endeavor that gave the mutant Logan his Adamantium skeleton, New World Order could be the first step to introducing the MCU’s Wolverine.

Captain America: New World Order hits theaters on May 3, 2024; Eternals is streaming now, exclusively on Disney+.