Kumail Nanjiani's Marvel Future Uncertain After 'Eternals' Flop

In August 2025, Kumail Nanjiani's future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains uncertain following the disappointing performance of the 2021 film 'Eternals.' The Oscar-nominated actor, who previously underwent a significant physical transformation to play the role of Kingo, had high hopes for the Chloé Zhao-directed movie, believing it would lead to more work with Marvel.

However, 'Eternals' received poor reviews and underperformed at the global box office, earning just $402 million. Nanjiani admits that the experience "shattered" him, leading him to seek therapy to process the aftermath. "That's when I was like, 'Oh, I need to go to therapy to figure this out,'" he said on the Working It Out podcast.

Nanjiani had signed on for six Marvel movies, as well as a video game and a theme park ride, expecting to be part of the MCU for the next decade. But the negative reception of 'Eternals' has left him uncertain about his future with the franchise. "For me, what really hit me, was just realizing too much of my self-esteem was tied up in other people's reaction to my work," he added.

Despite the film's star-studded cast, which included Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington, and others, Nanjiani believes there were "a few too many people in Eternals." He remains proud of the movie and would love for his character, Kingo, to return, but as of 2022, he had "no idea" if a sequel was in the works.