Akshay Kumar in Space? Internet goes wild; memes predict his next biopic after Sunita Williams' return

After astronaut Sunita Williams successfully returned to Earth after being stuck in space for nine months, the internet quickly erupted with a wave of hilarious memes, most of them featuring Bollywood star Akshay Kumar. Known for frequently portraying real-life heroes on screen, Akshay has starred in films based on true events such as Mission Mangal (about India's Mars mission), Airlift (about the Kuwait evacuation), Kesari (about the Battle of Saragarhi), and Pad Man (based on a social entrepreneur's story).

Social media users have jokingly predicted that Akshay Kumar is already preparing a script for a movie based on Sunita Williams' space mission. Many of the memes used AI to swap Sunita’s face with Akshay’s, humorously implying that the Bollywood superstar is all set to play the astronaut in a future film. Some memes even suggest titles like "Mission ISS" or "Khiladi in Space."

This meme trend is part of a larger pattern where Akshay Kumar frequently finds himself the subject of funny online jokes due to his history of playing real-life personalities. His fans and critics alike have pointed out that whenever a significant historical or patriotic achievement happens, Bollywood producers turn to Akshay Kumar to lead the film adaptation.

Given Akshay's fast-paced work ethic (often completing multiple films a year), some joke that he might wrap up the movie before NASA’s next mission even launches! The meme frenzy also includes his famous expressions and dialogues edited onto images of astronauts, making the comparisons even funnier? While Akshay Kumar himself has not commented on these memes, his past movie choices make it easy to see why fans have linked him to Sunita Williams' inspiring journey. Whether a film on her space mission actually happens remains to be seen, but for now, the internet is having a great time imagining Akshay in a zero-gravity Bollywood blockbuster.

For the unversed, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore returned to Earth on 19th March 2025, spending over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their mission, initially planned as a short stay, was extended due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. NASA ultimately decided to bring them back aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for safety reasons.

On March 18, 2025, astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore departed from the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft, officially beginning their journey back to Earth. Their return trip lasted approximately 17 hours, culminating in a safe landing in the Atlantic Ocean. Accompanying them on this voyage were fellow astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, making the trip a multinational effort.

Meanwhile, on the professional front, Akshay Kumar is gearing up for his next project 'Kesari 2' set to hit the theatres on April 18th. The film also stars Ananya Panday and R. Madhavan in pivotal roles. Apart from that, he also has Housefull 5 in the kitty.