The Great and Powerful Galactus. The Devourer of Worlds. Certainly, it’s been long enough now after the death of Thanos that people are starting to wonder where the MCU will turn for its next Big Bad. And the seeds have been planted by whomever it is that is pulling the strings at Marvel. Comic book fans will recognize signs from as far back as the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie that told us about the existence of Celestials and their aims in the universe. These murky waters have, of course, gotten a bit clearer ever since the release of the new Eternals movie. Now audiences know exactly what Celestials are and how incredibly dangerous they can be.
Although there have been hints as to other possibilities for a threat just as powerful. In the Disney+ series Loki, Jonathon Majors was revealed as He Who Remains, also known as Kang the Conqueror in the books. He is a multidimensional being who wields a massive amount of power, sitting on a throne at the center of multiple different timelines inside the multiverse. Any character that needs that many sci-fi words to describe them must be a threat to reality itself. But while Kang was unveiled only in a Disney+ series, the Celestials, and hence Galactus, have been hinted at in feature films, slowly gaining momentum, like tiny pebbles that foretell the coming of an avalanche. Though we haven’t even seen his Silver herald yet, we may be witnessing the coming of Galactus.
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Just What is Galactus?
Marvel
Galactus is a colossal being of nigh-omnipotence who moves through the universe, devouring planets to sustain his life force. He, along with the Celestials, was some of the first beings ever to exist. Though his name hasn’t been dropped yet in a Marvel movie, we’ve already seen Celestials a number of times. One, named Eson the Searcher, had a brief cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy when he was shown using the power stone to destroy an entire planet. Then in Guardians 2, Ego was introduced as a Celestial taking human form, though he typically falls into a slightly different category in the comics. Finally, in Eternals, we saw Arishem the Judge, who is known to be a leader amongst Celestials, judging planets on whether they are worthy to exist.
According to the lore, Galactus himself is actually a scientist named Galan, from a previous version of existence prior to the Big Bang who merged with a physical conceptualization of Eternity to continue living beyond the end of his world. He is known by the title the Hunger for his endless consumption of cosmic energy. He manipulates a force in the universe known as “the Power Cosmic,” which gives him the ability to manipulate matter and energy to his will. We saw another character imbued with this power in the 2007 movie Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which, of course, is not canon in the MCU but remains a valuable source of information.
Where is Galactus in the MCU?
Galactus is a villain that, while he poses a great danger to every character in Marvel, is normally introduced through The Fantastic Four in their fight with the Silver Surfer. While Galactus was about to destroy another world, a being offered to sacrifice himself to save his civilization. Galactus endowed him with the Power Cosmic, thus creating the Silver Surfer. The Silver Surfer is known as Galactus’s herald and will definitely show up in the MCU before Galactus does, but for the time being, hasn’t been seen yet.
But some whispers are going around. When discussing Eternals 2, Kaz Firpo was quoted in an interview with The Direct saying that the “door is very much open for world-eating villains.” He also said, “We are, you know, obviously setting the stage for intergalactic, cosmic, megalith confrontations,” which might imply a different take on Galactus. A line of comics did exist in which Galactus was set up to fight the other Celestials over his right to consume Earth, thusly embroiling Marvel’s heroes in the conflict and blowing the scope of the narrative to huge proportions.
Another hint might come in the casting of Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Or, to be more accurate, it’s the lack of a hint. When the cast was announced, Chukwudi Iwuji was listed among the chief roles, but the name of his character is being kept under wraps. Theories abound as, popular among them, the idea that he is the Silver Surfer continues to grow. Iwuji is most recently known for his role in the Peacemaker series but has a long history of powerful roles in Hamlet and Othello. He seems to be perfectly positioned to bring a Shakespearean air of doom to the galaxy as Galactus slowly approaches.
