Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's Kang actor Jonathan Majors reveals which Shakespearean character influenced his villain portrayal. Though Majors appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a Kang the Conqueror variant in the Disney+ series Loki, his Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania character marks his official debut as the villainous Kang variant. A recent trailer for the upcoming MCU film, which marks the first Phase 5 installment, teased Kang's chilling villain, which will likely become the next Thanos-level baddie. Majors has previously revealed a few inspirations for the role, mentioning Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Ultron (James Spader), and Thanos (Josh Brolin) as some of the villains he took note of while preparing to play Kang.

While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Majors states that he wasn't completely sold on his character in the upcoming MCU film at first, explaining that he was more interested in playing a "supervillain" than a "villain" due to his desire to portray a nuanced, layered, and ruthless character. In particular, he cites a surprising influence on his Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania character, naming Iago from Shakespeare's Othello as a source of inspiration. The Othello antagonist is notable for his expert manipulations of those around him, psychological tactics, and willingness to take down everyone in his path, all of which point to a terrifying villain in Majors' Kang. Check out what Majors had to say below:

"The first thing that was pitched to me was, he's a villain, and I went, 'Hmm.' And they were like, 'he's a supervillain,' and I went, 'Hmm, I'm into that.' But why was I into that? Because [of] classical texts. I mean, I do want to play Othello, but, in Othello, you've always got to be careful about Iago, because Iago, that guy, that's the most complex character. There's very little he won't do."

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Will Kang Fix The MCU Villain Problems?

He Who Remains smiling at his desk in Loki Season 1

Majors' description of Iago as "the most complex character" is extremely promising since he is comparing Othello's protagonist to his villain. While there have been many exceptions, the MCU has been criticized for its villains, with a host of complaints leveled at the franchise's baddies for various reasons. One of the 'villain problems' in the MCU centers on the antagonistic characters' lack of development or agency outside the heroes in the series, with some of the franchise villains seeming to appear and disappear based on the needs of the hero's story and not their own.

With Majors describing Kang as a multifaceted villain, as well as the character's variant's prior appearance in Loki, it's clear that Kang's story exists independently of Ant-Man's (Paul Rudd), and their showdown will merely be a chapter in Kang's narrative rather than its center. The teases about Kang's three-dimensional nature also bode well for his role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty since his reappearance in that film indicates that the foreboding villain's story will not end with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and that he is layered and complex enough to sustain multiple appearances. Majors' villain has already set up a rich history and is set to leave a lasting impact on the franchise, showing that Phase 5 will be starting off strong with an intense central foe.

In addition, Kang easily dodges one of the most common MCU villain critiques, which centers on the heroes often fighting villains with almost the exact same power or fighting style as their own. Kang's appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will essentially see an Avengers-level threat with a frightening level of power face off against two heroes with shrinking powers, ensuring a unique and climactic final battle that won't mark Kang's last appearance. Despite some criticism that Phase 4 lacked cohesion, Majors' comments about Kang display that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will set up an intriguing foundation for Phase 5 to build on, hopefully developing a strong Thanos-level villain for the next phase to focus on.

More: Kang’s Quantumania Appearance Has A Silly Villain Problem To Avoid

Source: EW

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