Image Source: DeviantArt, Models.com, Millarwolrd Cinematic Universe Wiki-Fandom
Out of ten new superheroes who marked their debut through the Oscar-winning Chloe Zhao’s helmed The Eternals in the superhero-based franchise Marvel Cinematic Universe, Richard Madden’s Ikaris was special in a way that the hero decided to sacrifice himself in the ending part of the blockbuster as the fans and followers would recall that the superhero to avoid the ideological conflict brewing between his family and his responsibility, eventually chooses to sacrifice himself.
The Eternals screenwriter Kaz Firpo, who worked alongside his cousin Ryan, while having a recent conversation with CBR, officially confirmed that Madden’s superhero Ikaris has died after he allows himself to fly directly into the sun, thus ending his life to avoid the dilemma of choosing between two sides, either he sides with is love and family or live up to his responsibilities and duty that is to become a part of Arishem’s grand plan which involved that for a new Celestial to born on a planet it needs life and in the process, all the life of the host planet comes to an end, which except Ikaris on one else was willing to allow because all of them got so attracted to humanity which eventually meant a faceoff between Eternals and Ikaris.
What is the melting point of an Eternal? How long does it take to literally melt an Eternal robot? For what it's worth... yeah, it was always that. He can't bear to face his family after what he's done, which he realizes,” Kaz Firp began explaining to CBR that Ikaris decision to ultimately sacrifice himself in the third act of the superhero epic was mainly led by the fact that he realized his mistake of going against his own family and love in order to serve the purpose of Arishem.
“I don't think that Ikaris even thinks that he's wrong. I think that he just has so much regret. He's very sorry. I think he's sorry for the way he lived his whole life on this planet, and that's a lot of burden to carry. So really, that act is basically saying, “I made a mistake, but I can't face my family, and I can't go on living,” Kaz added, elaborating that the whole situation that developed around Madden’s hero after he realized his mistakes, taking on his own people and it the journey even killing Salma Hayek’s Ajak, the leader of The Eternals, in the end, became too much for him to handle that ultimately led him to the decision that he cannot go on to live with regretting all of these.
An Image of Richard Madden’s Ikaris from The Eternals. Source: Screen Rant
He concluded, further explaining that because Ikaris’ commitment toward his duty could not be fulfilled which was the main purpose and driving force of his life and in the journey even going against his own team, Ikaris thought that he only had one option left, that to die, which is what he does with himself. “It began as an exile that I think, throughout the course of the filmmaking, really became something that needed to be definitive. It really is a moment of saying, “It's sacrifice.” It's sort of saying, “I can't serve the Eternals. If I can't serve the Celestials, and I can't be with my family, then I choose this third option,” which -- for him -- really is oblivion. So yeah, he dead.”
While Marvel’s version of Superman played by Richard Madden’s Ikaris met his end in an emotional way that definitely connected the audiences and is one of the few things the films really gets right in the long list of what it doesn’t, one thing is certain as of now, is that Ikaris won’t be appearing in future Marvel projects, but the fans and followers should be disappointed as the other members of Eternals will do in a sequel, even though at this point there is lack of clarity from the studio if the fans will be able to see a follow-up to the film, seeing the poor response the movie has received from critics, mainly because of the lack of proper screen time to all the character included in it.
In addition to Richard Madden having to play Ikaris in the Marvel Studios latest blockbuster, Chloe Zhao’s directed The Eternals also have big names which as far as playing out with the respective characters, does an excellent job like the Mexican-America star Salma Hayek in the role of Ajak, Angelina Jolie in the role of Thena, Kumail Nanjiani in the role of Kingo, Brian Tyree Henry in the role of Phastos, Gemma Chan in the role Sersi, Lauren Ridloff in the role of Makkari, Lia McHugh in the role of Sprite, Barry Keoghan in the role of Druig, Don Lee in the role of Gilgamesh, Kit Harington in the role of Dane Whitman with additional actors such as Harish Patel, Haaz Steiman as Phastos' husband, Ozer Ercan as a smuggler and Zain Al Rafeea in an unknown role.
