Kumail Nanjiani signed six MCU films, took therapy after Eternals underperformed
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Kumail Nanjiani signed six MCU films, took therapy after Eternals underperformed")
Kumail Nanjiani in Eternals Photograph: (X)
Directed by Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao, Eternals was one of the most talked-about movies in 2021. However, after the release, the movie was a huge disappointment.
Kumail Nanjiani’s dreams were shattered after Eternals' failure. The actor, who became the first Pakistani actor to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), revealed that he sought therapy after his debut Marvel movie, Eternals, underperformed at the box office. The actor played the role of Kingo in Marvel’s star-studded 2021 release.
Apart from Eternals, Nanjiani had reportedly signed on for several other projects with the studio. However, those deals never happened.
Why Kumail Nanjiani took therapy after Eternals?
The comedian, best known for his work in Silicon Valley and The Big Sick, shared his experience of entering the superhero world with Marvel. While his debut as Kingo did not turn out as he had hoped, the six-movie deal he signed with Marvel also didn't happen.
Speaking on Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out podcast, Nanjiani revealed that his Marvel experience is a key topic in his upcoming stand-up special, which is set to release on Hulu later this year.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
“I talked about how I was in this big movie. It came out right after COVID, so I had a year and a half at home to just be like, ‘Oh, when this thing comes out!'”
Sharing that he took therapy, the actor said, “But then it came out and it got really bad reviews and it didn’t do that well. It shattered me too much. That’s when I was like, ‘Oh I need to go to therapy to figure this out.'”
Six Marvel movies that never happened
The Pakistani-American actor further revealed that he had signed on for six Marvel projects, but none of them moved forward. He did not specify why the projects were shelved, though it is assumed the underwhelming performance of Eternals and other Marvel projects may have played a crucial role.
“I was like, ‘Oh, this is going to be my job for the next 10 years,'” Nanjiani continued. “I signed on for six movies. I signed on for a video game. I signed on for a theme park ride. They make you sign up for all this stuff. And you’re like, ‘This is the next 10 years of my life, so I’ll be doing Marvel movies every year and, in between, I’ll do my own little things, whatever I want to do.’ And then none of that happened.”
Directed by Chloé Zhao, Eternals underperformed at the box office and became the lowest-rated MCU film on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite a star-studded cast including Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, and Kumail Nanjiani, the movie failed to impress audiences.
With a budget of $200 million, Eternals grossed $402 million worldwide, a disappointing performance compared to Marvel’s usual box office history.
