Kumail Nanjiani would have been in a bunch of Marvel movies if 'Eternals' hadn't been so dull

It's fairly well-known that Marvel signs actors in lead roles to lengthy contracts, and Nanjiani was no different.

I signed on for six movies. I signed on for a video game. I signed on for a theme park ride. They make you sign up for all this stuff. And you’re like, "This is the next 10 years of my life, so I’ll be doing Marvel movies every year and, in between, I’ll do my own little things, whatever I want to do." And then none of that happened.

Indeed, none of that went according to plan. 'Eternals' underperformed at the box office by Marvel standards and is often cited as one of the studio’s weaker entries. That effectively marked the end of the Eternals’ storyline in the MCU. None of the main characters have even been mentioned for 'Avengers: Doomsday,' and considering just how packed that movie is, it seems unlikely they’ll return any time soon.

The flop of 'Eternals' clearly affected Nanjiani as he admitted in interviews that he went to therapy to understand why it hit him so hard. But professionally, it may have been a blessing in disguise. The MCU has a way of tying actors down for years, often limiting their opportunities outside the franchise. While Nanjiani hasn’t had a breakout hit since 'Eternals,' he’s returned to stand-up and has a special coming out this year, projects that likely wouldn’t have been possible had he remained fully committed to Marvel. So, while he missed out on multiple MCU films, it might have ended up being a net positive for his career.

(h/t Variety)