Eternals Star Kumail Nanjiani Surprises Audience Before Screening The Film

Kumail Nanjiani had a wonderful surprise for Marvel fans over the weekend. As moviegoers settled into their seats for a screening of The Eternals at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, the actor gave an impromptu speech to fans. He joined director Chloe Zhao and Kevin Feige as a surprise guest. TMZ shared a video of the special moment.

Kumail shared a funny anecdote with the crowd about how he’s usually the one getting beaten up by hulking heroes in the movies, but this time, things are different. He shared his gratitude and noted that he is also a huge MCU fan. He was grateful to land the role.

“This is really exciting, isn’t it? You know, a couple weeks ago my wife Emily and I were sitting on our couch and she turned to me and was like, ‘We went and saw Iron Man opening weekend and now you’re a superhero in the MCU!’ I think it’s still a prank. Wait for opening weekend, then we’ll know for sure.”

Nanjiani praised the work of Chloe Zhao and said he was a big fan of Feige’s work within the MCU. He said if he wasn’t there as one of the stars, he’d be sitting there watching the flick as a fan. He said he’s excited to play a character who can beat up Dave Bautista’s Drax.

Zhao also spoke about how Kevin Feige reassured her when she was brought on for the movie. She said Feige told her that her vision was important, which gave her the confidence to work through her nerves. Feige then assured fans that they were going to love the film, to a nice round of applause.

While critics weren’t big on The Eternals (47% on Rotten Tomatoes), fans seem to love it. Audiences rated the movie 80% on the same site. Ultimately, the box office take will tell the story.