Thanos has become one of the most iconic villains in cinema history, and succeeding him in the MCU is no small challenge. Kang actor Jonathan Majors has revealed how he hopes to fill the void left by Josh Brolin's beloved supervillain.
The demise of the angry titan in the blockbuster success Avengers: Endgame has left a gaping void for Marvel Studios. Fans have eagerly anticipated a return to the heights of the Infinity Saga, and the MCU's Phase 5 is set to raise the stakes higher than ever with the Multiversal threat posed by Kang the Conqueror.
After first appearing in Disney+'s Loki, Kang will be making his formal MCU debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. He will become the next big bad and hopefully provide a focus for the MCU after a mixed reception to Phase 4.
Kang will go on to star in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, where new and classic heroes alike will face his Multiversal threat...
Kang Actor Teases Potent New MCU Threat.
He Who Remains actor Jonathan Majors has revealed how he hopes to compete against the Infinity Saga's iconic Thanos in Phase 5 of the MCU.
Appearing in an interview for Canadian television channel CinePop, Majors spoke candidly about how he feels to be following up on Brolin's acclaimed portrayal of Thanos as he becomes the MCU's new supervillain. He initially praises Brolin's work as an "incredible big bad" and credits his performance to why Marvel can make Phase 5 possible.
Majors continued by cautioning that he tries not to make comparisons between Kang and Thanos. He emphasized that "it's a whole different world... my assignment is different, and the character of Kang is different:"
“I mean, what do you want me to say? (laughs) Listen, I think Thanos was an incredible big bad and we’re only in this phase because he did such a great job. Josh Brolin did a great job at portraying him. I try [not to make] comparisons between Kang and Thanos. But it’s a whole different world. I will say that’s a whole different world. My assignment is different. And the character of Kang is different. So it will be different. And as far as the fear, and intimidation factor, and the powerful factor… we’ll let the movie show.”
Despite differences, Kang is set to share a level of power and intimidation - characteristics similar to what Thanos brought into the MCU during the Infinity Saga. However, Majors was reluctant to give much more away and teased that audiences "will have to let the movie show" just what fear Kang will bring to the MCU.
Of course, any fear and intimidation will not be a like-for-like, as Loki writer Michael Waldron confirmed that Kang brings a different energy to the MCU.
These comments come after Loki writer Michael Waldron already praised Majors as "a hell of an actor and a hell of a performer" and emphasized that he will bring "a totally different energy than what Thanos is:"
“I mean he’s a hell of an actor and a hell of a performer. I don’t know, you heard him in the show: ‘If you think I’m evil, wait until you meet my Variants.’ So, we’ll see.
The exciting thing about getting to originate that character on the page in the MCU was sorta creating a totally different energy than what Thanos is, which is measured and principled, almost monk-like in his evil aspirations. And obviously, He Who Remains is a much more squirrelly, chaotic, narcissistic presence. So that was a lot of fun."
What Threat Will Kang Pose for the Multiverse Saga?
Whilst Thanos brought a brutal, sometimes even sadistic, threat to the Infinity Saga, the more "monk-like" Kang will undoubtedly be a change of pace.
However, whilst the master of mischief Loki had sorcerer powers, and Thanos boasted invulnerability, Kang - at least in Marvel Comics - lacks any powers of his own. Instead, he is equipped with 31st-century technology and battle armor, as shown in the Quantumania trailer.
Kang is also well-known for having various variations, and his affinity for time-traveling makes him such a dangerous threat to humanity. In Marvel Comics, he believes himself to be the rightful master of the world and seeks to rewrite history to achieve his rise to power.
Most importantly, there are countless versions of the character. If one version is defeated, another lurks in the shadows.
Suppose Doctor Strange's calculations from Infinity War are correct. In that case, there could be at least "fourteen million, six hundred and five" versions of Kang. Of course, Marvel is unlikely to show over fourteen million variations of Kang the Conqueror. However, at least that many realities and timelines emphasize just how tricky the supervillain could be to defeat.
Thus, Kang is a particularly elusive opponent, and audiences have already met one variation in the Loki finale. However, future incarnations of Kang are unlikely to be as benevolent as He Who Remains. Majors' time-traveling villain will raise the stakes higher than ever as the Avengers must confront his multiversal threat.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty hits theaters on May 2, 2025.
