Cosmic forces are at work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: the Eternals are coming, and in preparation for becoming a superhero, Kumail Nanjiani is suddenly hench as f*ck.
The Big Sick comic is leaping into the comicbook world in next year’s highly anticipated MCU movie, featuring the franchise’s newest, intergalactic superhuman team.
After a year of slaving away at the gym, the actor has shared his incredible progress – managing to stun even The Rock.
Nanjiani is far from the shallow now: his days on Silicon Valley wouldn’t have called for such physical routine. Alas, being a superhero isn’t just about having a big personality: as is customary, the comic has been gifted the best part of a year to get professionally shredded.
Nanjiani wrote on Instagram:
I never thought I’d be one of those people who would post a thirsty shirtless, but I’ve worked way too hard for way too long so here we are. You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I found out a year ago I was going to be in Marvel’s Eternals and decided I wanted to transform how I looked.
While it’d be nice if we all had the time to devote our bodies solely to physical enhancement, Nanjiani recognises it wouldn’t be possible without his team.
The 41-year-old acknowledges he wouldn’t have ‘been able to do this if I didn’t have a full year with the best trainers and nutritionists paid for by the biggest studio in the world’.
Nanjiani added:
I’m glad I look like this, but I also understand why I never did before. It would have been impossible without these resources and time.
The post has racked up nearly 200,000 likes, with various fellow actors and celebrities chiming in to cheer him on. Dax Shepard wrote: ‘What the actual f*ck?!?! That vascularity!’
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson commented:
Extremely hard work. Dense muscle is hard to achieve. Looking great my brother!!
Eternals is a key component of Marvel’s Phase Four, the next stage of the MCU’s life in a post-Endgame world.
Alongside Nanjiani as Kingo, there’s Richard Madden as the Eternal Ikaris, Angelina Jolie as Thena, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Gemma Chan as Sersi, Lia McHugh as Sprite and Don Lee as Gilgamesh.
Game of Thrones star Kit Harington is also on board, starring as Dane Whitman – a.k.a. Black Knight.
Marvel’s Eternals is set for release on November 6, 2020.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.