For a considerable period, it seemed as if all thenew Marvel movieswould be placed higher than many that came before it, as the franchise was experiencing a strong momentum that appeared unlikely to ever decrease. However, everything changes, and we have now reached a point where solidcritical hits like Thunderbolts* and decent-ish money-makers like The Amazing Four: Initial Stepsare mixed with high-budget movies that don't perform well. Kumail Nanjiani, the actor from one of these 2021 MCU releases,Eternals, has now been very open about feeling "devastated" by his film's performance and requiring therapy to cope with it.
What Did Eternals' Kumail Nanjiani Comment On Regarding The Need For Therapy Following The Film's Weak Reception?
Response from fans to the manyMarvel movies in orderhas undergone significant changes in recent years, as the films released after the Infinity Saga have not generated the same level of excitement as the first decade of Marvel movies. One film that had the usual Marvel hype but failed to meet expectations when audiences saw it wasEternals. Although there was a significant amount of celebrity presence on screen (in addition to Kumail Nanjiani, the superhero group featured Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Brian Tyree Henry, and others) anddecent box office, the reviews were varied at best.
Nanjiani recently made an appearance on theWorking It Outpodcast, where he and comedian/host Mike Birbiglia discussed the process of developing new material for their stand-up performances. When asked what he's been working on recently, the Oscar nominee shared that "the final 15 minutes" of his routine now focuses on howEternals’ negative reviews impacted him:
I was in a film titled Eternals. It's a major Marvel movie that was released and received very poor reviews, and it didn't perform well financially. It affected me deeply. That's when I realized, 'Oh, I need to see a therapist to understand this. A lot of my self-worth is dependent on how others react to my work.'
Gosh, that's tough, isn't it? I can only picture that there are many other actors who have gone through similar situations.The Big SickStar also noted that the movie was released after some of the pandemic's intensity had faded, allowing people to return to theaters. However, this meant he had spent approximately a year and a half at home, envisioning the film's success.
It could appear silly to theSilicon Valleylead to doing this, but the reality is that this film had been anticipated, even by those at Marvel. In early 2024, Nanjiani mentioned how theThe thought was that the movie would be "very, very well reviewed"So they removed the review embargo ahead of schedule and sent the cast on a promotional tour simultaneously, expecting them to benefit from extremely favorable audience reactions. However, this did not occur.
The the buildup to the film's release also raised his expectations, as he mentioned signing up for "six movies, a video game, a theme park ride," believing that his tenure as a Bollywood star/Eternal Kingo would last at least a decade. While anything within theMarvel multiverseIt's possible, but it seems improbable that we'll see Nanjiani or his fellow Eternals again soon. However, it appears he has accepted how the film didn't quite meet expectations and is continuing forward.
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