Edgar Wright Can’t Wait To See Kumail Nanjiani’s Eternals Muscles On Big Screen

Edgar Wright jokes that Eternals must be seen on the big screen to fully appreciate Kumail Nanjiani’s muscles. Nanjiani bulked up to portray his Eternals character, Kingo, a cosmic-powered, earthbound Bollywood star. The actor shared photos of his initial transformation, though he’s since admitted he’s “come to hate” them. Eternals is set to release November 5, 2021, the third film out of four in a year jam-packed with Marvel Cinematic Universe content. Alongside Nanjiani, Eternals has a star-studded cast, including Angeline Jolie, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Brian Tyree Henry, and Kit Harrington.

Wright is a critically acclaimed director of such cult films as Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. The director has also worked in the MCU. He was originally slated to direct Ant-Man, but stepped away from the project. Wright still maintained writing and producing credits for the film. His next movie is Last Night in Soho, which releases in April 2021 and stars Anya Taylor-Joy.

Recently, Wright tagged Nanjiani on Twitter, humorously advocating for the theatrical experience. He professed his desire to see Nanjiani’s Eternals muscles on as large of a screen as possible. The actor slyly called out day-and-date releases on VOD through his response.

While Wright’s joke is innocuous, it’s clearly a dig at the changing landscape of the industry. Warner Bros.’ decision to release all 17 of its 2021 movies on HBO Max and in theaters the same day has left Hollywood in turmoil. Najiani and Wright are just the latest figures to reference WB’s new strategy. Luckily, Marvel and Disney are reserving their blockbuster films, including Eternals, for the big screen. Still, many are worried Warner Bros.’ decision will permanently alter the release model for major movies and hurt creatives like Nanjiani and Wright in the process.

While Disney has announced a mind-bogglingly huge slate of content for Disney+, including some films that will go straight to the platform, the company is saving films like Black Widow and Eternals for theaters, a move that likely has MCU stars like Nanjiani thankful. It’s probably for the best; Warner Bros. is taking all the flack while the moviegoing industry continues to suffer because of the coronavirus pandemic. There’s no way to win in a situation like this and, while the rest of the industry has been up in arms about the changes, at least Wright and Nanjiani can help make light of the situation.