How 'Eternals' Reception Shattered Kumail Nanjiani — And What He Learned

He shared his journey, sought therapy, and channels it into comedy.
Honestly, I really feel for Kumail Nanjiani. When he signed on as Kingo in Marvel Studios’ Eternals, he thought he’d be living in the Marvel universe for the next decade — six movies, a video game, even a theme park ride.
But the film came out in November 2021, and the reviews and box office just didn’t deliver.
Nanjiani opened up on Mike Birbiglia’s podcast:
"It shattered me too much. That’s when I was like, 'Oh, I need to go to therapy to figure this out."'
He added:
"I signed on for six movies… and then none of that happened."
Reading that, I can’t help but sympathize. I mean, committing to a massive franchise like Marvel and then having everything stall? That would shake anyone.
And honestly, it makes me respect him even more — being honest about how the business side of Hollywood can hit you hard, even for a star in a billion-dollar universe.
Now I’m curious to see how he channels all of this into his new stand-up special on Hulu — I bet it’s going to be both hilarious and brutally honest.