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During Marvel‘s panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Kevin Feige revealed that Phases 4 through 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are collectively called the “Multiverse Saga.” And there can only be one villain who can take on not only the MCU but also the multiverse, and that man is Kang the Conqueror.

Jonathan Majors, who plays Kang the Conqueror in the MCU, wears a dark purple jacket while speaking onstage at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.
Jonathan Majors | Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images

Kang the Conqueror is the new Big Bad of the MCU

Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors, made his first MCU appearance in the Loki Season 1 finale. Technically, the name “Kang” is never mentioned in the Disney+ series, but context clues indicate his true identity.

In Loki, he goes by He Who Remains, the creator of the Time Variance Authority. He Who Remains explains to Loki and Sylvie that in order to stop a multiversal war between his evil variants, he created the TVA. From there, he managed all of the timelines and prevented his variants from conquering other universes. However, when Sylvie killed He Who Remains, she unleashed the multiverse and unmanageable timelines.

Majors will next appear in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as a different version of Kang the Conqueror. Marvel previewed the first footage from the third Ant-Man film at SDCC 2022. And at the end of the trailer, Kang tells Scott Lang, “You’re an Avenger? Have I killed you before?”

It’s unclear what other MCU films Kang will appear in, but he’s undoubtedly the Big Bad of the Multiverse Saga. And he’ll be a central character in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Kevin Feige reveals what differentiates Kang the Conqueror from Thanos

During an interview with ComicBook.com at SDCC 2022, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige teased Kang the Conqueror’s role in the MCU.

“It comes down to the cast and with Jonathan Majors, who I think took over the Hall H stage, you know, in the three minutes he was up there. It’s amazing. And I said to him there’s nobody’s shoulders I’d rather be putting the Multiverse Saga on than his,” Feige shared. “It’s really impressive what Jonathan Majors is able to do and all the different incarnations, variants, if you will, of Kang that we will see him do. It’s really pretty cool.”

He added, “What I love is that he’s totally different from Thanos. That he is completely different. That it’s not just how about there’s a bigger purple guy with a helmet? That’s not what Kang is. Kang is a very different type of villain, and the fact that he is many, many different characters is what’s most exciting and most differentiates him.”

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Jonathan Majors shares how he juggles playing multiple characters in the MCU

At SDCC 2022, Collider asked Jonathan Majors how he manages to play different Kang the Conqueror variants in the MCU.

“I would say I grew up in Texas and played around with sports,” the actor explained. The best thing about sports when you’re playing the point guard or the quarterback is, a good quarterback or point guard, they have amnesia. They don’t remember the good plays, they don’t remember the bad plays. They just remember they got to play the game. So that’s how I am with these guys. I just play the script. Tell the story. That’s how it goes.”

Majors added, “I think the thing about Kang, even the comic books, he contains multitudes. For me, it’s a great exploration of myself, just to figure out how much of myself can I explore and share? That’s the opportunity that Kang and He Who Remains offers.”

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, starring Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, premieres in theaters on Feb. 17, 2023.

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