Jonathan Majors Doesn't Want Kang To Be Compared To Thanos
Marvel Studios' highly anticipated "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" has finally been released to theaters, with the formidable Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) taking the center stage. Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) face their toughest foe yet, kicking off the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) Phase 5 with their newest big bad. However, Majors doesn't want to be in the shadow of the other colorful villain who came before him and nearly wiped away half of existence forever.
Thanos (Josh Brolin) was a devastating adversary for The Avengers who claimed the lives of multiple iconic heroes, and was responsible for Iron Man's (Robert Downey Jr.) selfless sacrifice in "Avengers: Endgame." The towering villain largely loomed over the majority of the MCU as the main antagonist until he was finally defeated. In his place, a new threat rises from the Quantum Realm, who was first introduced in the jaw-dropping Season 1 finale of "Loki," after revealing harrowing details about The Multiverse War.
Marvel fans patiently waited for the return of Majors' character in his new form as the notorious Kang the Conqueror, who makes his debut in the latest "Ant-Man." Though viewers will be tempted to draw parallels between Thanos and Kang, Majors hopes his menacing figure will stand on his own as a dangerous new threat to The Avengers.
Majors wants Kang to be a distinctive new enemy
With MTV News, Jonathan Majors broke down the revealing behind-the-scenes process of creating Kang the Conqueror's terrifying portrayal. He even told the outlet about the research he did beforehand to portray Kang differently than Thanos. However, he noted that the villains are all naturally connected as the Marvel Cinematic Universe expands.
"Thanos is such an interesting touching point because he was the next step of the lineage of the MCU villain, right? You've got Ultron, you've got Loki, you've got Thanos, we are all connected, you know what I mean? And as the phases move through, [so] do the villains," Majors said. He continued, "As the phases become more and more concentrated, they peak and fall, they ebb and flow, the villain is necessary for the phase." Marvel comic fans especially can attest to this as Kang is crucial for the upcoming "Secret Wars" Avengers film in 2025, featuring a confounding array of heroes and evil forces.
He continued by applauding Josh Brolin for his incredible work as Thanos, before sharing how he aimed to chart a new path with Kang. "And you want it to be entertaining, you want it to be new. You don't want to be compared if there's too much likeness. If I start comparing myself, it will show up in the work. So I respected his process, respected his character, but I knew I was here to do my own thing." Majors is certainly on the right track to achieve this distinction, especially after confidently pulling off two unique and chilling versions of the abominable villain.