Ghostbusters: Afterlife Sequel Just Rescued A Marvel Star From His Failed Movie
The Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel will feature Eternals star Kumail Nanjiani.
The upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel has added a handful of big names in comedy to its cast, including stand-up comedian James Acaster, recent Celebrity Jeopardy champion Patton Oswald, and Marvel’s Kumail Nanjiani, according to Deadline. Nanjiani appeared as Kingo in Marvel’s 2021 film Eternals, which was panned by critics and audiences alike, making it one of the least revered movies in the franchise. With the latest reports stating Disney is restricting the budgets of its major film studios such as Marvel and Star Wars, the upcoming Ghostbusters film could be the blockbuster needed for Kumail Nanjiani to remain relevant at the box office.
Before landing his role in the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel, Kumail Nanjiani was mostly known for his stand-up comedy career and comedic roles on shows such as HBO’s Silicon Valley and Adventure Time. After casting news of his Eternals role was released, Nanjiani stunned his fans by posting the now iconic photos of his ripped physique, revealing that he had entered the physical training necessary to get into the shape of such Marvel heroes as Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, and his Ghostbusters: Afterlife co-star Paul Rudd.
This left a number of fans highly disappointed when Eternals was released, with many leaving the theater feeling that Kumail Nanjiani’s talents were highly underutilized, and his newfound figure was barely present in the final edit. in the years since Eternals has released, Nanjiani has gone on to a number of high profile roles, such as Haja Estree in the Disney+ original Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a leading role as Somen Banerjee in Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales. Even with his successes in these projects, the Ghostbusters sequel is likely to be Kumail Nanjiani’s first box office hit since the poorly received Marvel film was released.
While little is known about the film at this time, Paul Rudd and the rest of the Afterlife cast are set to return, with the film shifting settings to New York City, much like the 1984 original. The latest addition to the Ghostbusters cast will also include more major comedic talents, such as Patton Oswald and James Acaster, who each have roots in stand-up comedy like Kumail Nanjiani. Jason Reitman, who directed the first film will return as a writer and producer alongside Jason and Kenan Blumenfeld, with plans for a December 2023 release.
In addition to the upcoming Ghostbusters film, Kumail Nanjiani is slated to produce and star in the FX original Homeland Elegies, based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ayad Akhtar’s book of the same name. Nanjiani has also been tapped to pen the feature adaptation of The Doubtful Guest alongside his The Big Sick writing partner and spouse, Emily V. Gordon, based on the 1957 short story by Edward Gorey. All these projects are a terrific sign for the comedic actor that the muddled response to his big Marvel outing hasn’t caused a negative ripple effect on his storied career, though that fact would certainly be solidified with a major box office blockbuster.
