'Eternals': Chloe Zhao teases Kumail Nanjiani's Kingo is 'Bollywood star in the present'

Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloe Zhao teased MCU fans that Kingo in Eternals is a character that 'loves pop culture and showmanship,' which is why making him a Bollywood star grooving to a ‘beautiful, joyous dance sequence’ in the big MCU film felt 'incredible'. The director stated that Kingo, essayed by Pakistani-American actor Kumail Nanjiani, was always supposed to be a Bollywood hero. While responding to a question from PTI during a round table interview with international journalists via Zoom, Zhao opened up about the character. 

Chloe Zhao: 'Kingo is a Bollywood star in the present day'

Chloe Zhao told the news agency that when she came into the process, there was a 'treatment' where 'there are always stories and parts that take place in Mumbai'. She said that Kumail Nanjiani's character Kingo is a 'Bollywood star in the present day' and she thought that 'was so interesting' because they knew Kingo is going to be a character that 'embraced the side of humanity that loves pop culture, that loves storytelling, that showmanship'. 

The Nomadland director continued that it was interesting to see the writers and the Marvel team did not just make him a Hollywood star since they have seen him many times, but to make him a Bollywood star and also have 'this beautiful, joyous dance sequence,' she thought was incredible to include in a big Marvel movie. 

Chloe Zhao's 'Eternals'

The forthcoming Marvel film, Eternals introduces ten never-seen-before superheroes, which are essayed by Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Game of Thrones stars Richard Madden and Kit Harington, Gemma Chan, Nanjiani, and Don Lee. The Eternals are apparently an alien race that is living on the planet for almost 7,000 years, who come together to protect humanity from the evil deviants. MCU's Eternals is slated for a theatrical release this Diwali, on November 5 in several languages like English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.

The 39-year-old filmmaker further added that she always wanted to direct a film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is known for its blockbuster superhero movies. She explained that she 'wanted this so bad because she wanted to work with the team at Marvel as she loves the films. With Eternals, the filmmaker revealed she felt like she has something to offer and 'it is a story that would address questions that she has for herself as a human being' that will allow her to grow.

(With inputs from PTI)

(Image: Instagram/@kumailn/AP)