Kang the Conqueror will finally arrive in Ant-Man 3, and he’s a bigger threat than Thanos, according to the sequel’s director.
Phase Four of the MCU is (finally) over. It was a period of radical change for the franchise, especially with the evolution of its television slate on Disney+, as well as the formal introduction of the multiverse.
Of all the criticisms, one seems most relevant: the absence of a proper big bad. Admittedly, we needed some time to move past the finger-snapping tyranny of Thanos, but fans are hungry for a villain again.
In a few months, their calls will be answered with Jonathan Majors as Kang, once known as He Who Remains, said to be a more formidable adversary than the Great Titan.
Kang is a bigger threat than Thanos in Ant-Man 3
During a recent appearance at CCXP 2022 in Brazil – where footage from Indiana Jones 5 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was unveiled – Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania director Peyton Reed spoke about Kang’s impact on the MCU from the get-go of Phase Five.
“We’re starting off Phase 5 in a big, big way. This is the biggest adventure that Ant-Man and Wasp have ever gone on,” he said, as per Comic Book.
“We’re going to strange places and we’re encountering an antagonist that’s unlike anything they’ve ever experienced – and that includes Thanos.
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Majors first appeared as He Who Remains, the timekeeper killed by Sylvie in the Loki Season 1 finale, causing the sacred timeline to splinter and the rise of Kang, as seen with the statue in the episode’s closing moments.
In Ant-Man 3, this particular variant of Kang is trapped in the Quantum Realm and wants to task Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) with helping him get home. “I think that He Who Remains in Loki is very different than Kang the Conqueror in our movie. They’re variants, but they’re extremely different people,” Reed explained.
“Kang is someone who has dominion over time, but he conserves his energy. He’s a very, very scary character to deal with, as [Ant-Man and Wasp] find out first hand.”
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits cinemas on February 17, 2023. You can find out more here.