Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is only weeks away, and with it, a proper introduction to Kang the Conqueror—an MCU villain whom actor Jonathan Majors has high ambition for.
After all, with the reputation Thanos had during the Infinity Saga, Kang has a lot to live up to.
Thankfully, Majors, the man who will be bringing Kang to life, seems more than up for the challenge. He’s even a vocal fan of the opportunities that the MCU can bring, comparing it to the "best drama school in the world for grownups."
Now, the actor has further commented on his high aspirations for establishing Kang’s formidable reputation.
Jonathan Majors' Ambitions for Kang
In the new issue of Total Film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star Jonathan Majors discussed establishing his legacy as Kang the Conqueror while also sharing his ambitions for achieving a similar name status to stars such as Denzel Washington and Sidney Poitier.
Majors admitted how he feels like “it’ll be on [him] to build the next thing” and that he will need to challenge those who will come after him:
“What’s been gifted, what’s been earned… I’m participating in that and moving it forward… I think about Sidney Poitier. It’ll be on me to build the next thing, you know? I’ve got a long way to go, but I will only be ripped and 6ft for so long. There will be individuals coming behind me, and I have to challenge them now, you know?”
Continuing, the actor made it clear that he hopes to reach the heights of famous actors like Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep:
“Hopefully, what we do with The Kang Dynasty; what we do in the MCU; what we do in these Adonis movies… Hopefully, they go, ‘That is now the pole star. That is what we’re aiming for now’. In the same way, I looked at Denzel [Washington] and Sidney Poitier and Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep and Daniel Day-Lewis, and went, ’I’m going there.’”
As for his place in the MCU and in its future, Majors admitted that he “couldn’t believe it” and how it was “completely bizarre to be approached:”
“Initially, I couldn’t believe it… I come from the theatre, which, in some cultures, could seem anathema to the MCU stage, so it was completely bizarre to be approached. But I found out very quickly that it was a very thought-out choice on their part.”
Thankfully, the actor seems to genuinely feel that he’ll “be fostered within the MCU:”
“And any trepidation I had about being able to actually do the work that I so desperately want to do and create the art that I so desperately want to create… I was really gonna be fostered within the MCU and within this company of creatives.”
Kang Takes on the MCU
Majors has a lot to live up to when it comes to being the biggest bad in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—something he can thank Josh Brolin’s Thanos for.
Though fans have already seen various versions of Kang, the world is still years away from the next Avengers film. This is one of the key differences between the Conqueror and Thanos; he’ll be far more present earlier in the Saga, and fans will get to explore multiple different Variants of the character, all of which offer a unique insight into him.
Majors previously discussed how one of his main goals as any version of Kang "is to make them as universal and as human as possible."
Jeff Loveness himself, the writer for Quantumania and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, personally promised that fans will be seeing "a lot of [Kang] in a lot of different ways.”
A new rumor also seems to suggest that there’d be even more Kang than originally expected, with Avengers: Secret Wars potentially being split into two parts and another Phase possibly being added to the Multiverse Saga.
As for when he’ll be seen first, following Quantumania, which lands in theaters worldwide on February 17, fans should expect to see multiple more Variants of the villain in Loki’s second season.
After all, it’s only fair that Majors show up once again in the series he originally debuted in.
