Ant-Man 3 has reportedly cast Lovecraft Country star Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror. Paul Rudd's Scott Lang has been the star of two solo Ant-Man films, and he'll be back for at least one more. News broke last November that Ant-Man 3 is officially a go at Marvel Studios, and that director Peyton Reed will return once again for this installment. Major updates have been slow to come by since then, though recent reports hint Ant-Man 3 is aiming for a 2022 release date.

Majors' star has been on the rise for some time now, having earned raves for his performance in last year's indie darling The Last Black Man in San Francisco. Most notably, Majors appeared in Spike Lee's Vietnam drama Da 5 Bloods earlier this year, and he can currently be seen on HBO's Lovecraft Country as Atticus Freeman. Now Majors' resume is getting a bit longer with this new, potentially huge, role.

Related: Avengers 5 Theory: Endgame Set Up Kang The Conqueror As Phase 4's Villain

According to Deadline, Majors has signed on for one of the lead roles in Ant-Man 3 alongside Rudd and Wasp actress Evangeline Lilly. Exactly who he is playing hasn't been officially revealed, but sources note he's likely playing Kang the Conqueror. They also say that while there could be a twist to the character, he's positioned right now to be one of the main villains of Ant-Man 3.

Kang the Conqueror

In the comics, the time-traveling Kang is one of the Avengers' most formidable enemies. As a result, fans have been wondering if he'll ever join the MCU. Now that Thanos (Josh Brolin) has ended his run as the MCU's big bad, the door is wide open for another major comics villain like Kang to take over. Fans have long speculated about where Kang could first appear, with projects like Loki and, yes, Ant-Man 3 being considered. Now it seems likely that Scott and Hope will be the first to take him on.

Ant-Man 3 is aiming for a June 2021 production start date, and the news of Majors' casting indicates things are moving forward as expected. Majors is a talented performer, and him playing Kang would certainly be a win for the MCU. Of course, until Marvel officially confirms his character, Majors could end up playing someone completely different. For the time being, though, he appears to be the long-awaited villain. Undoubtedly, fans will be eager to theorize about what brings Kang into Ant-Man 3, and they'll have quite a lot of time to do so while they wait for the film's arrival.

More: What To Expect From Ant-Man 3

Source: Deadline

Key Release Dates