Who is Starfox aka Eros and is He Thanos’s Brother?

The Marvel comics still has a lot of pretty cool characters out there, who have not been introduced into the MCU. In the latest Marvel movie Eternals, the studio introduced one such character which had been in the wishlist of Marvel fans to see on screen for long.

Yes, I am talking about Eros aka Starfox, who was portrayed by none other than Harry Styles. Though he became one of the biggest talking points of Eternals, he only made his appearance in the post-credits scene in the film.  

Though as per the comics he should have made his live action appearance much earlier, his introduction into the cinematic universe can mean significant turns for the narrative. In the widely discussed post-credits scene, Eros introduces himself to Thena, Makkari and Druig, his fellow Eternals.

For all my fellow MCU fanatics and those of you who don’t already know, I have put together everything you need to know about the brand new addition to the MCU and what it can mean for its future.  

In the Marvel comics, Eros aka Starfox is the brother of mad titan Marvel supervillain Thanos and the royal prince of Titan. He was born an “eternal” in the fictional planet of Titan. Contrary to his genocidal brother, Eros is a carefree lover and not a fighter.

The Origins of Eros

Eros first appeared in the Marvel comics alongside his brother Thanos in “Iron Man #55”, released in 1973. Considering the deeds of his infamous big brother, it is not weird to assume that his brother is made of the same feather.

But Eros is going to surprise you. Eros was born as an “Eternal” in the fictional moon of the planet Saturn.The eternals refer to a group of genetically altred humanoids who have left earth and now live in this Saturnian moon, Titan.

Unlike Thanos, Eros is not a fighter. He is an out and out hedonist and leads a carefree life. While Thanos remains interested in ruling the world and killing off half of the population, Eros is more interested in his intergalactic adventures and seducing characters across the Marvel universe.

If not for Thanos’ genocidal ideas, he would probably never have got into this Marvel mess at all. It is his brother’s deeds that implored him to consider his powers more seriously and step into the picture to stop Thanos.

When Thanos hatches a plan to destroy their home, Titan and eventually attacks the planet, Starfox aka Eros has no choice but to get down to work leaving his carefree, adventurous lifestyle behind.

Eros and Thanos shares a complicated cat and mouse relationship in the comics and he even teams up with Captain Marvel to stop Thanos from getting hold of the infinity stones. In fact, the Thanos-Eros track is a recurring narrative in the comics.

Wondering where on earth was this hero-over-Eternals-post-credits scene during Infinity War and Endgame?

I am wondering the same. Since MCU did not bring Starfox into the picture during the Avengers Thanos face-off and he was not mentioned at all in either Infinity War or Endgame, they definitely have to figure out a logical way to fit Starfox into the narrative now.

The Powers of Eros

Now it is time to talk about the big deal. So what can this dude do? What are his powers?

For starters, Eros has the same superpowers as other Eternals such as longevity, accelerated healing, super strength and speed, endurance and flight. But what makes Starfox special is his psionic or psychic power to control other people’s emotions.

Basically, he can control the minds of less powerful beings, which is what makes him more valuable than other Eternals.

But, hold on. This power does not work on his infamous big brother. Aha! There is always that twist in the tale. Ugh!

Other than that, Eros also has the magical power (if I may call it so) to win hearts of women and cast “love spells” on them. No wonder MCU chose Harry Styles to play the part. Now we get it, don’t we?

What is His Future in the MCU?

So as we know, in the post-credits scene of Eternals, Starfox makes his first MCU appearance. In this scene, he informs his fellow Eternals that his friends Sersi, Kingo and Sprite are in danger and he knows where to find them.

This is what he tells Eternals Thena, Makkari and Druig, who were at that point intending to leave Earth in order to find more members of their race. He also informs them that he is in possession of one of the Eternals’ communications orbs, a mystical sphere.

With the help of this sphere, Eros can communicate with the Celestials. He was also accompanied by a companion named Pip.

Since Eternals in the MCU is quite different from the Eternals in the comics, I am not sure with Eros is being introduced as the comic version Eternals or the cosmic robots, as is the case with other Eternals in the movie.

It is also not clear what sort of a relationship Eros shares with his brother in the MCU. I mean, since MCU deliberately did not introduce him in the Avengers’ struggle against Thanos, what if he is not against his brother after all?

In that case, he could be in a mission to resurrect Thanos. Even in the comics, when Thanos was killed, Eros did come to his brother’s rescue keeping aside their differences. So he does have a soft spot for Thanos.

We need to wait for more to understand if Eros is being introduced as a grey character or a completely positive one like in the comics. But if he is an Eternal in the MCU, he is probably a cosmic robot and not a living being like the ones in the comics.

All in all, there are going to be some significant changes in terms of storyline and characterization but I would guess that the essence of Starfox’s character should remain intact. This means that his adventurous nature, his powers and his carefree attitude should be in place.

About Eternals

Eternals is a 2021 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics of the same name. It is the 26th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Chloé Zhao, who wrote the screenplay with Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo.

In the film, the Eternals, an immortal alien race, emerge from hiding after thousands of years to protect Earth from their ancient counterparts, the Deviants.

It stars an ensemble cast including Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie.