Eternals hit theaters last weekend, adding yet another chapter to the MCU. It's the third MCU movie to find its way out into the wild since theaters were allowed to reopen earlier this year, following in the footsteps of Black Widow and Shang-Chi. Eternals introduces MCU fans to ten new superheroes. That appears to have overwhelmed some, but the introduction of the new group has begun an exciting new chapter for the universe.
That chapter and its ten heroes includes the MCU's very first deaf superhero. Makkari communicates with her fellow Eternals using sign language, forming a particularly close bond with Draig. Makkari's inclusion in the movie has resulted in a 250% lift in people wanting to learn sign language during the build to its release. That's according to Preply which conducted research using Keyword Tool, reports The Independent.
On top of that, searches for “first deaf superhero” have doubled between last November and now. The biggest spike in terms of searches related to Makkari is for the actor who plays her, Lauren Ridloff. Ridloff was best known for playing Connie in The Walking Dead before landing the role of Makkari in Eternals. Searches for her name have increased by a massive 550% since November 1, showing just how much interest she has generated in the new movie and her unique role within it.
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Ridloff has two children who are also deaf and recently told The New York Times how important it is to her that they will grow up in a world with a deaf superhero. “It means my two boys, who are also deaf, will grow up in a world where there are superheroes who are deaf. It means they’ll be able to dream a bit more wildly,” Ridloff said.
The opinion on Eternals as a whole still appears to be incredibly split. Reviews of the epic came in before release day and quickly made it the worst-rated MCU movie on Rotten Tomatoes. It's unclear what it is about the movie Marvel fans don't like. Nevertheless, it still made $161 million during its opening weekend and introduced some exciting new characters in its credit scenes. Yes, that voice you hear right at the end is who you think it is.