Richard Madden says the stakes in 'Eternals' can't get any higher

As a Game of Thrones alum himself, Richard Madden is not a stranger to storylines with huge stakes. But in Marvel's Eternals, the once King of the North says the stakes can't get any higher.

"The Eternals are fighting to prevent the end of the world, or the end of human civilization, as we know it. So I don't think the stakes get much higher than that,” he shared in a virtual presscon with Asian press.

In Eternals, Richard plays Ikaris, a character her describes as a “loyal soldier” who thinks more about the “greater good of the universe versus his own personal priorities,” especially when it comes to the choices he makes in the film.

“In terms of Ikaris' choices in the film, I think he's always constantly wrestling between what's right for him as a being and what's right for the greater good. And the guilt that comes with making either one of those choices,” he explained.

With so much happening and with the greater good of the universe at stake, Richard said that small character moments in the film became even more important, noting that these moments “elevate” the characters and “give a bit of soul to them.”

One character that Richard's Ikaris has those moments with is Gemma Chan's Sersi, as the two characters have a love story that spans centuries. In real life, Richard and Gemma have actually been friends for more than 10 years now.

“I think it's a fascinating study of what keeps a couple together for thousands of years. When do they not get bored with each other? And what kind of love means that you really care about someone for that length of time?” he said of Ikaris and Sersi's relationship.

It is something that Gemma was also interested in, especially considering the fact that there is a love triangle in the film involving Kit Harrington, another Game of Thrones alum. Kit plays the character Dane Whitman.

“I hope people like it because we haven't seen it before. I'm going to be interested to hear whether people think that Sersi should be with Dane or with Ikaris,” she said.

Just like Gemma, Richard says that he hopes audiences will be able to also focus on these moments even as the Eternals go about saving the world.

“I'm most excited for people to be able to get up close with a lot of these characters. We tried to create this huge world where you also get to be alone with these characters in moments of silence and thought. Hopefully, we're going to be able to get inside some of these Eternals' minds as much as we get to see them saving the world,” he said.

Eternals is set to open nationwide in the Philippines this December 1, but if you don't know much about them, find out more in the gallery below.