Nanjiani: Eternals promises for six MCU projects never materialized

Kumail Nanjiani says his role as Kingo in Eternals came with promises that extended far beyond a single film, but the constellation of commitments never materialized, and the star’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains unclear four years after the movie’s release. Speaking on a recent podcast, Nanjiani recalled signing on to six MCU films, a video game, and even a theme park ride, only to see none of those projects come to fruition as Marvel’s first post-Endgame ensemble entry failed to meet expectations at the box office and with critics.

Nanjiani described the arrangement bluntly: “I signed on for six movies. I signed on for a video game. I signed on for a theme park ride.” He said the certainty of a long-term Marvel trajectory colored his plans for a decade of work in the studio’s orbit. But when Eternals arrived in 2021 to mixed-to-poor reception, the actor said the experience took an emotional toll. “It came out, it got really bad reviews, and it didn’t do that well. It shattered me too much,” he confided, adding that the situation prompted him to seek therapy to recalibrate his sense of self-worth beyond the responses to others’ reactions to his work.