Warning: this article contains spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania!​

Following his debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Kang the Conqueror is set to become the Marvel Cinematic Universe's new big bad, and it is all thanks to actor Jonathan Majors. The actor first appeared in the role of the Kang variant He Who Remains in the Disney+ series Loki. After the series set up the MCU's multiverse storyline, Majors has now fully debuted as the fear-inducing Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which set him up to take Thanos' place as the MCU's overarching villain. However, it appears that Kang was not always going to be the MCU's next big bad.

Speaking to The Wrap, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness revealed that the Avengers Kang has killed were not what positioned the villain to be the MCU's next big bad, but rather Majors' performance in the movie. The actor delivered a nuanced and intimidating turn as the villain, which makes his MCU future all the more exciting. Check out the full quote below:

Kang the Conqueror was available, but there was no impetus to making him the next “Big Bad.” That came from the strength of Jonathan Majors’ performance [as Kang].

Related: 1 Endgame Detail Hints Iron Man Was The Only Avenger Kang Feared

Why Kang Is A Very Different Villain Than Thanos

Quantumania Kang Thanos avengers endgame

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania took a different approach from the first movie that fully featured Thanos — 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. While Thanos' big debut movie started with the villain showing up in the very first scene to beat the Hulk, humiliate Thor, and kill Loki, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania spent around one hour with the mystery of Kang's MCU introduction, through indirect mentions of Kang by characters — setting up the dread for when the villain would fully appear.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania writer Loveness — who will be guiding Kang again in 2025's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty — revealed that he wanted to "show the very human, broken side of Kang" in the Ant-Man movie. That idea separates Kang from Thanos, with the previous MCU big bad's introduction going for the angle of presenting him as an unstoppable physical force, while Kang carries a bit more nuance in the sense that the character felt like he was betrayed by the first human connection he had made in a long time, Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet van Dyne, who worked with Kang to fix his Time Chair after he was cast-off.

That notion is what makes Kang human — besides the fact that he is not an alien like Thanos — as he is a character that was broken by his personal connections. Another difference between the characters is that Kang the Conqueror has already beaten a number of Avengers — as revealed by the villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While Thanos' goal was to restore balance by killing half of all life in the universe, Kang — if this version of the villain comes back — will have a personal vendetta against Janet and Scott Lang for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's events.

MORE: Kang The Conqueror Has Already Done 1 Thing Thanos Never Could

Source: The Wrap

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