Ant Man star Jonathan Majors reveals why Kang is ‘more dangerous’ than Thanos – and what the new MCU villain has in common with The Lion King

Ever since the Loki Season 1 finale on Disney+, we’ve had a rough idea of ​​who will be the next big villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With the theatrical release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania enters Kan the Conqueror also the big screen. In the Quantum Realm, he is secretly up to mischief and plans to take over the multiverse.

After just two appearances, it’s clear we’ll be seeing a lot more of Kang in the MCU. Last but not least, he wears next Avengers movie The villain’s name in the title: In Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Kang will meet the most powerful superheroes on earth for the first time. Until then, he scares the little ones. That’s exactly what we talked to Jonathan Majors about in an interview.

New MCU villain: Jonathan Majors on the Kang variants in Loki and Ant-Man 3

Majors has been around Hollywood for almost 15 years and has worked his way up the ranks through supporting roles in films such as Enemies – Hostiles, White Boy Rick and Captive State. The crucial breakthrough came with the indie hit The Last Black Man in San Francisco and the HBO series Lovecraft Country. In Creed III, he plays the next opponent in the Rocky universe. Now he’s raging as Kang in the MCU.

You can watch the trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania here:

Moviepilot: When you were cast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, did you know you were going to play Kang?

Jonathan Majors: I knew it was about the role of Kang. What I didn’t know, however, was what it would all entail. They kept it a secret for a long time.

Then it probably came as a surprise to you that you are the big villain of the Multiverse saga.

There were a few hints from Marvel, but they didn’t reveal very much information until I was fully on board. Eventually I found out though and to be honest I’m still finding out some unexpected things about the role.

How did Kevin Feige approach you with the role?

Kevin Feige has a whole team around him that goes through these decisions with him. One of the most important people is casting director Sarah Finn. She met me for a general meeting a long time ago. Years later I get a call that they would like me to play Kang in the MCU. Once I said yes, there were numerous phone calls and meetings. Kevin suggested that the Kang in the MCU is pretty much the Kang we see in the comics: a hyper-intelligent nexus being with many variants that can travel through time.

In Loki, you’ve already played one of Kang’s variants with He Who Stays. How did you create the new version for Quantumania?

In the end it all comes down to the script. When I brought The One Who Stays to life for Loki, I knew that Kang the Conqueror also existed in the MCU. I hadn’t actually worked on the character at the time, but I already had a rough idea of ​​how I wanted to play her. Also, I knew what Kang was going to look like since we based his look on the comics. In general, I tried to position the Kang variant in Loki as far away from the variant in Quantumania as possible. The world of Loki and the TVA is completely different from Ant-Man and the Quantum Realm. I looked for suitable Kang interpretations for both.

Jonathan Majors on the post-credits scene of Quantumania and the influence of The Lion King

Did you choose a specific role model for the Quantumania-Kang?

I read the comics, of course, but I didn’t study other actors. However, you cannot free yourself from your experiences when working on a new project. There are things that automatically come to mind. With Kang, for example, I often had to think of Scar from The Lion King. Just the way he talks. There are some such subconscious influences. Nevertheless, I always try to create enough freedom for myself so that a new role comes to me without reservations.

So far we have seen two main variants of Kang. In addition, the first post-credits scene of Quantumania reveals many more. How do you tell all the different kangs apart?

I trust that they are all different. There are, of course, entire books and volumes on how to come up with certain key phrases as an actor for something like this. I’ve learned some acting techniques that allow me to physically fit into different roles. Still, I have to concentrate a lot and remember what I’m doing on which character. Especially with that one post-credit scene, it was very tiring. Change the music, clothes and costumes! Here you have this voice and here it sounds like this. It was actually an absolute dream for me as an actor, but at the same time it was also a gladiator fight.

Is there anything you really want to try with Kang in the future?

Yes, I still have a lot to do. With Kang, however, it often depends on the characters he is in a room with. Whoever that is determines the kang I play. I’m really looking forward to that in the future.

The last major villain in the MCU was Thanos. How is your kang different from Thanos?

Kang is flesh and blood. He with more vulnerable, but also a bit more dangerous. He is a human being. That is the big difference.

Even after Thanos’ death, the consequences of his actions were felt throughout the MCU. What do you think Kang’s legacy will be?

I hope that it moves the audience, inspires them and makes them curious. My goal is for people to understand him.

Even though he’s the bad guy?

One can understand everything. You don’t have to agree with it, but you can understand it.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantmania hits theaters on February 15, 2023.

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