Content Warning: the following article contains discussions of sexual violence
Introduced in the Eternals post-credits scene, Eros/Starfox (Harry Styles) possesses distinctive powers that could never really work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Indeed, the live-action version of Eros is one of the rare cases in which deviating from the source material would unquestionably make the character better. This is because of Eros' powers in Marvel Comics – Eros/Starfox can stimulate the pleasure center of the brain of anyone within a 25-foot distance, which is essentially what makes him a unique Eternal.
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In the comics, even just Eros' mere presence can cause the people around him to feel pleasure. Through manipulating cosmic energy, Eros is able to magnify these effects to extreme levels. At will, Eros can make people feel extraordinarily euphoric, sedated with pleasure, or sexually aroused. While this presents interesting possibilities for Eros' future in the MCU, it's easy to see how Eros' powers can very easily result in situations with the potential to be highly offensive.
Though Eternals did change the powers of certain characters like Kingo, Sprite, and Thena, none of these changes took away from what makes these Eternals distinct – and this is simply impossible to do with Eros/Starfox. Apart from their backstory and connection to the Celestials, every Eternal's unique power is largely what determines their future in the MCU. This is especially true for Eros, whose very name reflects the exclusive form of cosmic energy manipulation he possesses. Ironically, while Eros' ability to stimulate people's pleasure centers makes him a truly compelling and promising addition to the MCU's roster, it also makes him extremely difficult to adapt into a mainstream live-action franchise.
Why Eros' Powers Are So Problematic
As the creator of Eros – Marvel Comics writer and artist Jim Starlin – explains, Eros is essentially a sociopath and sexual predator, and this is a line that the MCU is definitely not prepared to cross. Marvel can't just make an immortal sexual predator out of Harry Styles, who is arguably the biggest star to sign on for the franchise during MCU Phase 4. Whether Harry Styles' Starfox/Eros returns to the MCU, it's highly unlikely that any of Eros' future outings will adapt the comic book storyline in which the character gets accused of sexual assault due to his extreme powers of persuasion. Although there are a myriad of ways for the MCU to use Eros' cosmically enhanced seductive nature, the risks that are attached to tackling potentially highly problematic topics greatly outweighs any potential gains for the MCU – especially in the current political climate. Though it's true that the MCU has been expanding into grittier stories that are more grounded to social reality, it would be extremely difficult for such a mainstream franchise to tackle sexual assault – or even just depict Eros using his sex powers – without being problematic.
Eros is seduction – there's no getting around this fact – it's what the character's entire identity has been built upon since Eros was created by Jim Starlin. Eros' future in the MCU cannot ignore this key aspect of the character. That said, there are still ways for Marvel to steer clear of any problematic issues while still staying true to Eros' comic book origin.
Eros Is A Better MCU Hero Without His Sex Powers
According to Jim Starlin, Eros was inspired by the Freudian concepts of Eros and Thanatos – life and death, passion and destruction – and it is from these key concepts that the MCU's version of Eros can rise. One way to do this is by completely ditching Eros' sex powers, and instead, giving Eros control over several emotions. In fact, an argument can be made that Eros' powers shouldn't be limited to pleasure alone – love itself can exist across the entire spectrum of human emotion. Though long-time Marvel readers may get offended by this type of deviation from the source material, this would still be better than triggering victims of trauma every time Eros uses his sex powers.
The version of Zeus from Thor: Love and Thunder reveals another way for Eros' future MCU outings to avoid being problematic. Based not just on Marvel Comics but also Greek mythology, Zeus' real origin involved not only sexual assault, but also several other atrocities, including Zeus eating his own children. The MCU hinted at Zeus' dark history in a deleted scene where Zeus tells Thor that he is too impure to accompany them to Eternity. With this scene ending up on the cutting room floor, Thor: Love and Thunder completely avoided any allusions about Zeus' atrocities – but still ended up with a complete and promising new character for the MCU's growing roster. The same can be done for Harry Styles' Eros, whose cosmic and semi-mythological backstory have plenty of similarities to that of Zeus.
There are many ways for the MCU to adapt Eros, and none of it should include Eros' sex powers – especially if Eros is going to become an Avenger. At this point in the MCU, Harry Styles' Eros/Starfox is one of the prime candidates for a new, post-Infinity War version of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. If Eros is actually a hero and not a villain in the MCU, there would be no better addition to the New Avengers roster than Thanos' brother himself. If being an Avenger is in the cards for Eros, there is no time or place in the multiverse where Eros' sex powers can exist.
Eternals' post-credits scene hinted that Eros will indeed be a hero in the MCU, and even if this is just a setup to Eros becoming an Avengers-level threat instead, it would be unwise for the MCU to directly adapt Eros' problematic powers. However, by changing and expanding Eros' powers to include every emotion that can come attached to love, there could be hope for the character yet. In fact, Thanos and Eros' backstory is yet to be tackled in the MCU, and if Marvel adapts this storyline for a movie or series, it could be the best way to introduce the MCU's biggest changes to the character. This isn't to say that the MCU should never tackle sexual assault – only that it would be unwise to do this through a character that's not only played by a beloved star, but is also largely expected to become an Avenger.