Why It Was So Important For Kumail Nanjiani To Get Jacked For His Marvel Role
One of the perks of playing a superhero on screen is that you are probably going to get into the best physical shape of your life. We’ve seen countless actors transform for the benefit of playing a comic-book character on screen, and it often goes beyond just trying to recreate the finest representation of what fans are used to seeing on the pages of a book. Eternals star Kumail Nanjiani opened up about how being first, and setting a standard, meant a lot to him.
The Silicon Valley star is going to be the first Pakistani actor to play a leading Marvel Studios hero on screen in Eternals. And he made all sorts of headlines last year when photos of him in his Eternals bod surfaced. He looked amazing. But in a Hollywood Reporter interview, he explained that for him, it went beyond just looks, stating:
That aspect of playing a superhero can get overlooked. You are supposed to be playing a superior physical specimen who needs to go toe-to-toe with other powerful beings. The Eternals, also, are actual immortal alien race who have been created by the Celestials to protect our planet. They’ve been around for centuries, and have faced all manner of threats. They can’t look like scrawny pipsqueaks.
Now, not ever hero needs to back on the extra muscle weight, and bulk up to the levels of an Arnold Schwarzenegger or Dwayne Johnson. The Flash is fast, meaning Ezra Miller can stay normal sized. Robert Pattinson can skip a workout routine or two because Batman’s a man, not a god.
This mattered to Kumail Nanjiani, though, and he put in the work to look and feel different. Speaking of looks, I wish Eternals would give us one. The Marvel Studios marketing machine has been on pause for the time being as the film industry rests in limbo. By now, we were supposed to already have seen Black Widow. And attached to Black Widow, we assume we would have seen a teaser trailer for Eternals.
But that movie won’t drop until February 12, 2021 now, so the fan base waits. Know what you can do while waiting? Scan our MCU Portal Page, for all of the latest news from the Marvel Universe.
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Sean O’Connell is a journalist and CinemaBlend’s Managing Editor. Having been with the site since 2011, Sean interviewed myriad directors, actors and producers, and created ReelBlend, which he proudly cohosts with Jake Hamilton and Kevin McCarthy. And he's the author of RELEASE THE SNYDER CUT, the Spider-Man history book WITH GREAT POWER, and an upcoming book about Bruce Willis.
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