Eternals brings a whole new cast of heroes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Oscar winner Chloe Zhao, the film is arguably Marvel Studios' most ambitious film in years.

The film focuses on the Eternals, an ancient alien group sent to Earth thousands of years ago by a powerful race called the Celestials. The Eternals protect humanity as gatekeepers, but only when necessary (a case of Thanos reveals why they did not help us). In their first stand-alone film, they are shown banding together to stop a threat that threatens to destroy the world.

The Eternals is the MCU's debut film and has not appeared or been directly referenced in any other Marvel film. However, there is an interconnected universe of films that give greater context to the events that take place in The Eternals.

Of course, the MCU currently consists of more than 20 feature films, plus the original Disney Plus films. Fortunately, only some of those films are related to Eternals. Therefore, we have compiled the following list of Marvel films to see before The Eternals, and the order in which they should be seen.

As a reminder, it is recommended to watch them in the order of their release, as the events unfold in chronological order.

1. "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014): Do you really need an excuse to review "Guardians of the Galaxy"? If so, the first "Guardians" film contains not one but two references to the Celestials, who will undoubtedly appear in "Eternals". Not only were the ancient beings, the Celestials, directly mentioned by the Collector, but it is also revealed that the mining planet Nowhere has a head that the Celestials have disembodied. Perhaps the "Eternals" will explain how this happened.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017): Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 introduces a Celestial even better than the reference to Celestial: Peter Quill's father, Ego. He believes himself to be the last surviving Celestial after his race became extinct thousands of years ago. With "Eternals," the MCU sequel will likely take on an even more important place in the franchise's dense lore.

3. Avengers: Infinity War (2018): the culmination of the Infinity Saga: The events of Infinity War are directly referenced in one of the trailers for Eternals. The aliens are heard discussing the snap of Thanos and the fact that they did not intervene to stop it. Perhaps their own movie will reveal the impact the snap had on the Eternals. Marvel has been tight-lipped on the matter, but we can't wait to find out.

4. "Avengers Endgame" (2019): this goes without saying. After "Infinity War," we can't help but watch "Endgame". The impetus for the events of "Eternal" also makes an appearance. When the Hulk snaps himself to resurrect everyone, it triggers a cosmic event called "Emergence". It is this event that the Eternals will fight in their own film.

There are various ways to watch the above Marvel films. You can opt for a physical Blu-ray copy, or you can rent/buy each film through your favorite VOD service. However, the easiest (and cheapest) way to watch (almost) every moment of the MCU is through Disney Plus (streamed in 4K HDR).

All previous MCU films (with the exception of the two "Spider-Man" films and 2008's "The Incredible Hulk") are available on Disney Plus. In addition, complete access to recently released MCU original series such as "Wander Vision," "Falcon," "The Winter Soldier," and "Loki" is also available.

The platform is also home to additional Marvel content, including classic animated series and upcoming original programming, as well as Disney, Pixar, and Star Wars content. It is well worth the relatively small monthly subscription fee.

If you want to dive further into the world of Eternals, Celestials, and Deviants (think of them as the evil polar opposites of the Eternals), open up a comic book; first introduced in the 1970s, the Eternals have a rich history that spans decades. What follows are some of the best books to help you get to know this often underrated character a little better.