It is anticipated that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantum Mania will not only delve further into the Quantum Realm, but it will also thoroughly display the coming of the next major antagonist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who will be portrayed by Jonathan Major and known as Kang the Conqueror. Even if Majors has already made his debut in the role of He Who Remains in Loki, this alternative Variant is significantly less brutal than the one that will emerge in the Ant-Man sequel trilogy. The conclusion of Loki Season 1 demonstrated that Kang is just getting started with his malicious time travel pranks, and regrettably, the Ant-Man team will be one of the first heroes to feel the wrath of this villain.
Nevertheless, it is not yet clear how Kang is supposed to be inserted into the Quantumania puzzle. Kate Herron, who directed the first season of Loki, has already dropped hints that Kang will have a “great” future in Marvel, noting that Majors is aware of the character’s “importance” in the MCU and genuinely embraces it as something to be proud of.
Now, just in time for Marvel Studios’ massive panel at San Diego Comic-Con, the first official glimpse at the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU’s) upcoming formidable foe can be seen online.
Marvel Highlights the MCU’s Kang the Conqueror
Andy Park, Director of Visual Development at Marvel Studios, has released the first look at Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. In the image, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp, and Kathryn Newton’s Cassie Lang all appear in updated versions of their costumes, while Newton’s Cassie Lang dons a brand new outfit. They are accompanied by the towering picture of Jonathan Majors assuming the role of Kang the Conqueror.
MCU Kang the Conqueror First Look Poster
The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Kang will, upon closer scrutiny, have a look that is authentic to the comics:
The Beginning of Kang’s Path Towards Evil
It seems possible that Kang the Conqueror will play a role as a secondary antagonist in the next film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, given that he is prominently featured in the promotional artwork for the film. There are a lot of different scenarios that may play out about this Kang’s part in the future threequel, ranging from his not being the primary variant of himself to him being the villain that gives orders to other unidentified villains.
There is still a lot of mystery around Kang’s true objective, but Ant-Man 3 may provide light on the beginning stages of his scheme. Considering that the antagonist of the threequel is a threat on par with that posed by the Avengers, the struggle that centres on him could eventually be carried over into the next movie in the crossover series.
However, this still does not explain why Kang would play the role of an adversary to Team Ant-Man in the movie. It’s possible that he’s utilising the Quantum Realm as his base of operations; if something were to go wrong there, Paul Rudd’s character, Scott Lang, and the rest of the team would have to look into it.
Given that Michelle Pfeiffer’s character, Janet Van Dyne, was held captive in the Quantum Realm for a considerable amount of time, it is a distinct possibility that she already had an encounter with Kang, which would have resulted in an emotionally charged reunion. In addition, if Janet and Kang had a previous experience together, she might be aware of his vulnerabilities, which would make her an invaluable asset in the battle to defeat Kang. This would make her a potential key to victory.
Whatever the case may be, Kang’s impending arrival portends danger for team Ant-Man and the rest of the MCU, and this could suggest that a future team-up of the Avengers could occur sooner rather than later.
On February 17, 2023, audiences will be treated to the debut of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in theatres.