Kumail Nanjiani explains why his jacked body is important for Eternals. As the next film on Marvel's release calendar, all eyes are currently on Chloé Zhao's entry into the MCU. After finishing production on Eternals, her previous film, the deeply moving drama Nomadland won Best Picture and Best Director for Zhao at this past Academy Awards, which only served to increase anticipation for her MCU film releasing in theaters on November 5.

For the first time since 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, Eternals will introduce an all-new team of superheroes to the MCU. The titular alien race have been living on Earth for thousands of years but have been instructed by their creators, the Celestials, to never interfere in human affairs unless their evil counterparts, the Deviants are involved. Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek headline the cast as Thena and Ajak, though Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, and Kumail Nanjiani will no doubt be recognizable to audiences as well.

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Much has been made of Kumail Nanjiani's drastic physical transformation to take on the role as the superhero and now, in a profile by GQ, the actor is explaining why it was important for the movie. Though it was a personal decision rather than a studio mandate, Nanjiani felt a lot of pressure being "playing the first South Asian superhero," and he wanted to look like he could take on the likes of Thor and Captain America. Nanjiani also knew that Kingo's status as a Bollywood star demanded he get in impeccable shape for the role. Read what Nanjiani had to say below:

If I'm playing the first South Asian superhero, I want to look like someone who can take on Thor or Captain America, or any of those people... From the '60s to the '90s I know basically every big [Bollywood star]. I was like, I want this to be believable. I want to feel that kind of powerful in this role.

Kumail Nanjiani dancing as Kingo in the Eternals

Nanjiani's character Kingo is a powerful Eternal who can project beams of cosmic energy from his hands and has adopted an alter-ego as a popular Bollywood star to blend in on Earth. Fans, along with director Zhao, were shocked the first time they saw Nanjiani's new physique for the first time. Given that Nanjiani had previously cultivated a reputation as a comedic actor for roles in HBO's Silicon Valley and the romantic-comedy The Big Sick, he was one of the last actors expected to take a turn as an action hero.

To portray Kingo, the importance of Nanjiani's physical transformation was twofold given the character's status as a superhero and a Bollywood star, both of whom are usually jacked, as he points out. Nanjiani went the extra mile by working with trainers and nutritionists for a full year as well as learning a full Bollywood dance number, all to increase the believability of the role. Audiences will see whether or not Nanjiani's efforts pay off when Eternals releases in less than a month.

Next: Eternals: Every Change To Marvel's New Superheroes We Already Know

Source: GQ

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