Reed Richard's descendant? Inspired by Doctor
Doom? Here's the truth about Ant-Man 3's Kang: The Conquerer!
Although "Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania" will be the official debut of the menace
known as Kang the Conqueror, it's not Jonathan Majors' first rodeo in the MCU.
The actor played the role of He Who Remains in the first season finale of "Loki," revealed to
be the mastermind behind the Time-Keepers and the Time Variance Authority. However,
the character's ties to Kang the Conqueror were worn on his sleeve.
"You're a flea on the back of a dragon in for one hell of a ride."
After Loki and Sylvie confront He Who Remains at the Citadel at the End of Time,
Majors' character reveals his backstory, which just so happens to be the same as Kang's from
the comics. He Who Remains was originally a scientist from the 31st century who,
after discovering the existence of the multiverse, used it to make contact with
his variants across space and time. Sooner or later, some of those variants waged war
in pursuit of conquering the multiverse, and once He Who Remains came out on top,
he isolated the Sacred Timeline and created the TVA to prune any unwanted branches.
Majors' performance in the "Loki" finale was well-received, especially
by MCU fans who had correctly theorized Kang's involvement in the earlier episodes. However,
the character's presence was a clear warning sign of what's to come,
with the series' head writer Michael Waldron saying in an interview with Marvel.com,
He Who Remains, while being an interpretation of Kang the
Conqueror himself, also has his own ties to Marvel's comic book origins. However,
his main inspiration is not the character of the same name, who created both the Time-Keepers
and TVA in the comics and first debuted in the 1970s. No, the MCU iteration of He Who
Remains actually has much more in common with a specific variant of Kang: Immortus.
In the comics, Immortus was a version of Kang who grew tired of conquering
and retreated to a dimension outside of space and time known as Limbo,
which bears a lot of similarity to "The Void" in "Loki." There,
Immortus got in contact with the Time-Keepers, who offered him the job of influencing events
in the Sacred Timeline to prevent mankind from straying off their planned destinies.
The MCU version of He Who Remains is a composite of both the original He Who Remains from the
comics and Immortus. This is reflected in the character's clothing in the "Loki" finale,
which combines the familiar purple-and-green colors of Immortus with the comfort of He
Who Remains' robes. In "The Making of Loki" on Disney+, Majors reveals He
Who Remains' outfit also drew inspiration from Genghis Khan and the Victorian era.
Although he's mainly known for his antagonistic role as Kang the Conqueror, the character's long
and storied past ties him to one of Marvel's most popular teams. Before he traveled the multiverse,
conquering and ruling, Kang was an Earthly scientist named Nathaniel Richards. Despite
living in the 31st century, Kang's heritage traces all the way back to none other than
Reed Richards, the smartest man alive and the leader of the Fantastic Four.
Even though the cast of Matt Shakman's upcoming MCU Fantastic Four film has yet to be announced,
Reed Richards, like Kang, also made his MCU debut in Phase 4. He was portrayed by
John Krasinski in a brief appearance in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse
of Madness." Given the Fantastic Four's impending arrival in the MCU,
as well as their importance in the comic book events of "Secret Wars," there's no
doubt that Kang and the Fantastic Four will inevitably cross paths on the big screen.
However, Kang the Conqueror's ties to Reed Richards may be even more complex than that.
Comic book fans will know that Reed Richards' father also happened to be named Nathaniel.
Some theorists have speculated that Reed Richards' father was yet another variant of
Kang the Conqueror, who traveled back in time and created his own legacy. Perhaps this will prove
to be an important aspect of Kang's character in the 2026 film "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty."
Kang the Conqueror's Fantastic Four ties don't stop with his lineage. The character also draws
plenty of inspiration from one of the biggest and most popular Fantastic Four antagonists:
Doctor Doom. Fan anticipation and speculation regarding the official
MCU introduction of Doctor Doom remains some of the highest the film franchise has seen
to date. The character is closely tied to the events of "Secret Wars" in the comics,
and his full potential has yet to be realized on the big screen.
Of course, the introduction of Kang and the promise of the Fantastic Four means
Victor von Doom is on a collision course with the MCU. Having been defeated by the
Fantastic Four in the comics, one variant of Kang ends up encountering Doctor Doom
in the 20th century. Inspired by the Latverian conqueror, this version of
Kang dubs himself the Scarlet Centurion and forces the Avengers to face their alternate
selves in a multiversal war. He even takes inspiration from Doom's outfit for his own.
For Kang's MCU future, it's possible he'll be inspired by Doom in any number of ways. Donning a
similar outfit as Doom is certainly a possibility, as is pitting the Avengers against each other as
the main plot of "Avengers: Secret Wars." From the look of Jonathan Majors' Kang in the first
trailer for "Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania," it seems his outfit already has Doctor Doom vibes.
There are many other Kang the Conqueror variants whose comic book iterations may
influence the look of Jonathan Majors' portrayal in "Ant-Man & the Wasp:
Quantumania," as well as future appearances in the MCU. One of the earlier versions of Kang
to debut in the comics appears after Nathaniel Richards time-travels to Ancient Egypt. There,
he becomes a ruler and worshiped figure amongst the Egyptians under the moniker "Rama-Tut."
Of course, Kang the Conqueror's affiliation with Ancient Egypt in the comics perfectly lends the
Marvel Cinematic Universe the opportunity to have the character come to blows with Moon
Knight and Khonshu. This comic book premise is an early storyline for the Fantastic Four,
who find themselves taken prisoner by Rama-Tut in the past. It's possible that
this storyline could serve as the basis for the upcoming Fantastic Four movie,
which would mean that Jonathan Majors' Kang could take on the appearance of an Egyptian pharaoh.
Nevertheless, it's also possible that the upcoming Fantastic Four film will revolve
around the original team's encounters with the Skrulls, who have also already made their MCU
debut. Perhaps Kang the Conqueror's relationship with ancient Egypt will be explored through his
costume design in future films such as "The Kang Dynasty," or even in the second season of "Loki."
When Majors' appearance in the third "Ant-Man" movie as Marvel supervillain Kang the Conqueror
was first announced, many fans were rightfully surprised. Given the light-hearted nature of
Paul Rudd's MCU franchise, it seemed like an odd couple to pair his smarmy thief with one
of the cruelest and most sinister characters that Marvel has to offer. Nevertheless, the two
are set to square off in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's highly-anticipated start to 2023.
"So, what's it gonna be, Ant-Man?"
The first trailers for "Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania" have given insight into what
beef there will be between Kang the Conqueror and Scott Lang. After accidentally ending up
in the Quantum Realm, it appears that Kang is hiring Scott to perform a heist for him,
which is certainly in Scott's skill set, even in another dimension.
Fans have speculated that Kang wants Scott to steal back his Time Chair,
which is what Kang uses to time-travel. Other fan speculation theorizes that the current
owner of Kang's Time Chair is none other than MODOK, who's also set to appear in the film.
Some fans believe the Time Chair can be spotted in one of the first trailers to
"Ant-Man 3," depicting Kang standing in front of it wearing a very comic-accurate costume.
Though it's unclear why Kang wants his precious time-travel device back,
one can assume he plans to use it for the purpose of doing what he does best: conquering.
The presence of another significant Marvel baddie, MODOK, may also allude to a much
different path for Kang the Conqueror than fans are anticipating. In Marvel Comics,
there's precedent set for Kang to have a change of heart. One teenage variant of Nathaniel Richards
encounters his future self a bit early, when Kang time-travels to protect his younger self
from a life-altering injury. Taking the younger Nathaniel Richards under his wing, Kang attempts
to show himself the legendary ruler he'd become, only for this lecture to frighten him instead.
In an attempt to reverse his destiny, this Nathaniel Richards assembles a Young Avengers
team, with himself as their leader, wearing a Stark-esque suit and donning the name "Iron
Lad." His teammates include several characters who have already made their Marvel Cinematic Universe
debuts, including Kate Bishop, Elijah Bradley, and Wanda's twin sons. One of Richards' other
assembled teammates is Cassie Lang, with whom he crosses paths during the events of "Quantumania."
Despite reports of Majors' role as the next Thanos-level threat in the MCU,
the plot of "Ant-Man 3" could take a sharp turn with Kang having a moment of
redemption. With the Young Avengers potentially being on the horizon,
the debut of Jonathan Majors, or another actor, as Iron Lad could come much sooner than later.
Another "Quantumania" theory concerns a certain casting announcement from
2022. To the surprise of many fans, "The Good Place" star William Jackson
Harper was confirmed to be appearing in Peyton Reed's third "Ant-Man" film.
What's even more interesting is that the actor's role is apparently top secret.
Though it's more than likely Harper will join Bill Murray as some sort of citizen living in
the Quantum Place, some fans speculate something much more significant for the actor. Notably,
he's been a frontrunner of many fan-castings for the Fantastic Four,
particularly in the role of Reed Richards, per The AV Club. Harper's role as Chidi on
"The Good Place" certainly shows he's qualified to capture the awkwardness and physique of Marvel's
smartest man alive. This is especially true after rumors that John Krasinski's
cameo as Richards in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" was a one-off appearance.
However, Harper's potential casting as Reed Richards could also prove very relevant to
the appearance of Kang the Conqueror. Given the comic book origins of Kang as a descendant
of Reed Richards, it would make some sense for William Jackson Harper to be cast as the ancestor
to Jonathan Majors. The only thing throwing this theory off is other rumors surrounding
Fantastic Four casting options, including Penn Badgley and Adam Driver, via The Direct.
While many Marvel Cinematic Universe fans are beyond excited for Kang the Conqueror
to make his debut in "Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania," no one is more excited than
Jonathan Majors himself. The character's role in the film will have a very big impact on the MCU,
according to the film's director Peyton Reed in an interview with Empire. Predictably, it's this
impact on the MCU as a whole that initially drew Jonathan Majors to the role in the first place.
Speaking to Marvel.com on his appearance in the "Loki" finale, Majors said he was drawn to the
aspect of Kang's character that let him play many different versions of the same villain.
"Reincarnation, baby."
On his appearance in "Quantumania," Majors had only one thing to say at
Marvel's San Diego Comic-Con panel in 2022, which was:
Clearly, this is only the beginning of Majors' journey as the character
heading towards "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" in 2025.
"See you soon."