Hark! What's that in the sky? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's THE BIG SICK and SILICON VALLEY star Kumail Nanjiani, here to rescue us from an otherwise dismal Friday news cycle. THR has recently learned that the Oscar-nominated comedian is in talks to star alongside Angelina Jolie in THE ETERNALS.
Based on the 1976 comic book series created by Jack Kirby, The Eternals are often described as an offshoot of the transformative process that created sentient life on Earth. As the story goes, The Eternals were intended to be defenders of Earth by their creators, The Celestials. In time, an opposing force known as the Deviants were introduced as a way to secure the destruction of the goodly-natured beings. Marvel has hired Chloe Zhao (THE RIDER, SONGS MY BROTHER TAUGHT ME) to direct the tentpole superhero venture from a screenplay penned by RUIN scribes Matthew and Ryan Firpo.
While details about who Nanjiani will play in the film are under wraps at this time, we do know that MALEFICENT and SALT alumna Angelina Jolie will arive as Sersi in the film, "a more outgoing Eternal who has not been afraid to move amongst humankind." (via THR)
As for Nanjiani, the PORTLANDIA alum has recently wrapped two voice acting roles. He'll star as the voice of Pawny in MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL alongside THOR: RAGNAROK duo Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, and as Plimpton for THE VOYAGE OF DOCTOR DOOLITTLE starring Robert Downey Jr. as the lead veterinarian with a gift for animal gab. Nanjiani is also set to star as Eric in THE LOVEBIRDS, a comedy from director Michael Showalter that focuses on a couple on the brink of breaking up, who become unintentionally embroiled in a bizarre (and hilarious) murder mystery. As they get closer to clearing their names and solving the case, they need to figure out how they, and their relationship, can survive the night.
Filming for THE ETERNALS is expected to kick off later this year.