Marvel’s Eternals, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloe Zhao, features an impressive cast including Kumail Nanjiani, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Don Lee, Kit Harrington, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie. Despite the impressive lineup, the superhero epic unexpectedly became one of Marvel’s least favourably reviewed films. Kumail, who played Kingo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie, recently shared on the Inside of You With Michael Rosenbaum podcast that the film’s negative reviews had a major impact on his mental well-being. Admitting that he read too many negative reviews, Kumail revealed that the film’s harsh reception led him to take counselling to handle his emotional trauma.
The Big Sick star said, “I knew it wasn’t me. I think that there were a lot of things that went into it. I love that movie I’m very proud of that movie, I’m proud of everyone’s work in it and I’m proud of my work in it and I’ve seen that movie a bunch of times because it’s like my kind of movie. I don’t watch stuff I’m in a lot.” Kumail shared that the real trauma for him and the cast started when the producers though that the MCU movie will receive excellent reviews. Later, they lifted the embargo early and sent the cast on a worldwide promotional tour, a decision that ultimately proved to be the worst. He added, “Right as the Embargo was lifted and we had to like sort of travel the world while they thought we’d be going on a wave of raves and it wasn’t true.”
Kumail Nanjiani further revealed that he found himself obsessively reading every review and checking for reactions, which escalated his mental burden. This period coincided with the aftermath of the pandemic and Nanjiani had imagined the release of Eternals as a major moment in his career after the challenging times. However, the harsh criticism turned everything upside down, making him realize that something needed to change in his mindset. The intense scrutiny led him to “start counselling. I still talk to my therapist about that. I do have Trauma from it.”
The Eternals star recounted a dinner conversation with Emily, his wife and another cast member from the film. The discussion revolved around the mutual difficulty they faced in handling the challenging reaction to the movie. Nanjiani concluded that while he can control his own experiences, interactions and growth, external opinions remain beyond his control.
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