Kumail Nanjiani, who plays Kingo in November's Eternals, jokes that he doesn't feel like part of the MCU yet. Nanjiani is set to make his Marvel debut as one of the titular Eternals, an immortal alien race that has been sent to earth to keep watch over the humans. Alongside Nanjiani, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Brian Tyree Henry, Don Lee, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, and Barry Keoghan play his fellow Eternals, who will be wrapped up in a conflict with the villainous Deviants after the Avengers reversed Thanos' snap. Kit Harington is also set to star as Dane Whitman, a character who takes on the mantle of Black Knight in the Marvel comics.
Eternals will be the second MCU film to introduce an entirely new cast of heroes in the franchise this year after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings debuts this Friday. With Academy Award winning director Chloé Zhao at the helm, it also looks to be one of the most visually distinct Marvel films yet, making it all the more anticipated by audiences who are longing for more Phase 4 content. With so many new actors joining the MCU, fans are wondering just how these characters may factor into the future of the franchise, but Nanjiani doesn't even really feel a part of it yet.
In an interview with the LA Times, the actor said that "it doesn't feel real" to him yet. Nanjiani cites Eternals' delay by a year and the fact that the cast shot it so long ago as something that has made him feel a bit detached from the whole thing. He goes on to say that, when people ask him what it's like to be in the MCU, he must confess that he doesn't truly know yet, as he feels like he isn't really in the franchise until the movie hits theaters.
It doesn’t feel real to me. You had this big premiere yesterday; for us, our movie’s been delayed a year. When you’re shooting it, you feel like you’re in a Marvel movie, but now it’s a little over a year and people are like, “What’s it like being in the MCU?” And I’m like, “I don’t know! I haven’t seen the movie. I’m not in the MCU until the movie comes out!”
Luckily for Najiani, Eternals isn't too far off from its theatrical debut. The film is slated to release just over two months after Shang-Chi and it seems unlikely that it will face anymore delays. Despite that, there's still a lingering possibility that Eternals could be delayed or go to Disney+ - recent reports indicated that the movie's release plan is contingent on the box office of Shang-Chi. Still, Eternals will be released either way and despite the fact that all of the attention has been focused on Marvel's other fall release, it is certainly a cause for celebration.
Zhao looks to be bringing something truly unique to the MCU, a franchise that some critics have said has become rather formulaic over time. As Marvel pushes out more and more content, it's important that each new entry is more unique than the last. On the streaming side of things, shows like WandaVision and Loki have already shown the potential of what a unique vision can bring to the MCU and Zhao's Eternals, along with Shang-Chi, looks set to do the same on the theatrical end.
Source: LA Times
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