“This is unfair to me, this is unfair to my wife”: Kumail Nanjiani Went to Therapy Because of His Flop MCU Movie Eternals
Since COVID-19 unfolded, almost every film franchise including one of the fan-favorites: MCU couldn’t resist its significant challenges. Similarly, Kumail Nanjiani’s first MCU film Eternals came out in 2021 and wasn’t well received. Now after years, the actor is opening up about the negative reviews, and how it almost ruined his peace.
Kumail Nanjiani’s Eternals took a different and unique tone, compared to the usual superhero films of the MCU. From a star-studded cast to having an Oscar-winning director, the film fell on deaf ears. The harsh comments severely affected Nanjiani who played Kingo, leading him to seek counselling.
Kumail Nanjiani Had To Seek Counseling After His MCU Film Eternals Faced Criticism
It’s been three years since MCU’s one of the biggest flops was released. Despite having an incredible cast and a new take on the narrative through mythological aspects of the MCU, Kumail Nanjiani‘s Eternals failed to impress the audience. The film featured heroes with remarkable abilities and were created by cosmic beings known as the Celestials in the MCU. The negative reception of Eternals not only affected Nanjiani’s personal life but to cope with the criticism he took counseling.
Eternals was indisputably a unique film, but the negativity startled the actor. During a recent episode of Micheal Rosenbaum’s podcast Inside of You, Kumail Nanjiani shared that:
“I think there was some weird soup in the atmosphere for why that movie got slammed so much, and I think not much of it has to do with the actual quality of the movie.”
While explaining that he believes the harsh criticism doesn’t seem to have much with the film’s narrative, Nanjiani added:
“It was really hard, and that was when I thought it was unfair to me and unfair to [my wife] Emily, and I can’t approach my work this way anymore. Some s— has to change, so I started counseling. I still talk to my therapist about that.”
The Death of 2020 star was devasted when he faced the criticism. Eternals met negative comments even before its release, as many failed to delve into the atypical MCU film. Along with Nanjiani, the cast includes Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, and other talented stars.
Kumail Nanjiani Says Marvel Studios’ Overconfidence Played Role in Eternals’ Unfortunate Outcome
Also Read: “Lance made an imprint”: Keanu Reeves Honors Lance Reddick with Heartwarming Speech at Saturn Awards
When asked about coping with the negativity, Kumail Nanjiani shed light on Marvel Studios’ overconfidence. He explained that allowing reviews even before the film’s release played a significant role in the unexpected reception of Eternals. He said:
“It was really, really hard because Marvel thought that movie was going to be really, really well reviewed.”
While explaining that handling the reviews was tough, and the makers’ overconfidence ruined Eternals, Nanjiani added:
“They lifted the embargo really early and they also put it in some fancy movie festivals and they sent us on a big global tour promoting the movie right as the embargo lifted.”
Another factor that contributed to Eternals‘ failure was the time it was released. The project was huge with many characters being introduced at once. Many fans believed that despite its compelling story, Nanjiani’s film was predictable and did not deserve massive approval.
Eternals is available on Disney+
