Jonathan Majors Praises Marvel's Commitment To Diverse Casting
At this time, no single character is of more importance within the MCU than Kang the Conqueror, a multiverse-spanning villain first introduced in the Disney+ series "Loki" who will serve as the primary antagonist for the upcoming "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" and subsequent "Avengers" films. Played by Jonathan Majors of "Lovecraft Country" fame, Kang succeeds Thanos as the most terrifying threat in the MCU, posing a risk not just to the Avengers but to the entire multiverse.
Though its leads were primarily white men in the early years (beloved though they were), the MCU has since brought forth a more diverse cast. More women and people of color have taken the spotlight, including Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel, and Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk. As the franchise heads into what it dubs Phase 5 of the MCU, the lineup of heroes and villains is more diverse than ever. With Majors contracted to appear in several upcoming MCU projects, he's likely to share screen time with nearly every major character, especially during the "Avengers" crossover films. In a new interview, he spoke about his opinions on Marvel's commitment to diverse casting.
Jonathan Majors loves where Kang fits into the MCU
In a new profile of Jonathan Majors from Ebony, the actor spoke about what drew him to the role of Kang the Conqueror, praising how he fits into the sprawling story of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the MCU's new main villain, Kang is infinite versions of one man from the 31st century with ambitions of dominating the multiverse. Majors likes how he, as an actor, figures into things from the perspective of our own world. "Nothing's more diverse than the fact that the big bad of the MCU is a young Black boy from Texas. And there's no help. There's no allies," the "Lovecraft Country" star said.
Majors seems to be referencing his own life rather than Kang's, having been raised in Texas during his formative years (via Texas Monthly). From there, he attended college at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts before pursuing his MFA at Yale's acting program, where he was quickly scouted for his first major role.
Majors appreciates how welcoming Marvel fans have been
So far, Marvel fans have been overwhelmingly welcoming of Johnathan Majors and excited about his upcoming arc as Kang. While casting a Black man in a major franchise role should feel no different than casting anybody else, many actors have been subjected to racist abuse after landing the role that should have been their golden ticket.
For instance, in the "Star Wars" franchise alone, John Boyega, Kelly Marie Tran, and Moses Ingram have been victims of racially biased harassment campaigns after starring in various "Star Wars" projects. Asked why he thinks he's avoided similar treatment, Jonathan Majors laughed and replied, "Well, it's not too late. Yeah, I thought it would've come by now, but we'll see. People are crazy. Why do I not think it's happened? I don't know. I feel blessed."
Majors also touched on the example of Moses Ingram specifically. After starring in "Obi-Wan Kenobi" on Disney+, Ingram was the target of such abuse that her co-star Ewan McGregor was brutally honest and posted a video to official "Star Wars" social media pages denouncing the harassers as "Star Wars" fans. "I was thinking about my sister Moses Ingram, who was also attacked," Majors said. "Perhaps the 'Star Wars' camp is different. I don't know. I don't know if we've gotten it much in the Marvel world."