'Eternals': Marvel promised Kumail Nanjiani 6-movie deal that never happened
What's the story
Kumail Nanjiani, who played Kingo in Marvel's Eternals, recently revealed that he was promised a six-movie deal with the studio. However, with the film's release over four years ago and its underwhelming performance at the box office (grossing only $402 million worldwide), these promises have yet to be fulfilled. Speaking on Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out podcast, he expressed disappointment over this situation.
Unmet expectations
'This is going to be my job for 10 years'
Nanjiani had high hopes for his future with Marvel after Eternals. He said, "I was like, 'Oh, this is going to be my job for the next 10 years.' I signed on for six movies. I signed on for a video game. I signed on for a theme park ride." However, he added that none of these things has materialized yet.
Personal impact
'It shattered me too much'
The disappointment over Eternals's performance took a toll on Nanjiani's mental health. He shared, "It shattered me too much and that's when I was like, 'Oh, I need to like go to therapy to figure this out.'" Despite the film's poor reviews and box office performance, he remains proud of his work in Eternals. The movie also starred Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek, among many other A-listers.
Character fondness
Nanjiani still hopes to return as Kingo
Despite the setbacks, Nanjiani is still fond of his character Kingo. He had said earlier, "I would love for Kingo to come back. I love playing that character." "That one's very fun to play, you're just in a good mood. You do finger guns, you're like a movie star - what's not to love? You're just in a good mood the entire time."