Marvel’s Jonathan Majors Packed on 10 Pounds of Muscle to Play Kang the Conqueror

When Jonathan Majors made his first appearance as Marvel’s Kang the Conqueror it was kind of by surprise, making his MCU debut in the season finale of Loki where he went by the moniker of He Who Remains. Marvel fans already knew that Majors would be playing the part of the Avengers villain on the big screen when it had been announced he’d be the main antagonist of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, but the version we saw in Loki wasn’t the one we’ll see in theaters in a few months, and he made sure to tease his villainous variants that were set to arrive. To his credit, Majors is going to make the alternate Kangs different not only in personality, but in size, as he put on quite a bit of muscle for the part.

In a profile on Men’s Health details about Majors’ future film roles were revealed, including not just his next appearance as Kang. According to the outlet, the actor “packed on ten pounds of muscle to play Kang, an extra five for Creed, and six more for Magazine Dreams.” Speaking with Men’s Health about the part as well, teasing that the variations of the character were what brought him to it. “It was the character and dimensions of Kang [that drew me to the role],” Majors told the magazine. “And the potential that it had. I thought, I’ll take a chance on that.”   

Who is Kang the Conqueror?

In the pages of Marvel Comics, Kang the Conqueror isn’t a multiversal traveler most of the time but actually a 31st-century scientist that uses time travel with frequency, largely to antagonize The Avengers and the Fantastic Four (the two comics where he could first appear). Making his debut in 1963, and created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Kang used time travel abilities invented by Doctor Doom to make his mark on different points in the timeline, ruling as a leader in places like Ancient Egypt among others.

Kang is also thought to be a descendent of none other than Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic, but Marvel Comics lore has never fully established their potential ancestry, only teased it. This could perhaps lead to Jonathan Majors appearing in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot for hte MCU, at the very least some sort of post-credit scene.

What’s Kang the Conqueror’s next MCU appearance?

After appearing in the season one finale of Loki it’s assumed that Kang won’t appear in the MCU until  Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, currently scheduled for release on February 17, 2023. Considering the larger implications of Kang as a character, and the fact that he made his debut as a variant on Loki and teased his other variants, other appearances are definitely not out of the question. Marvel Studios has released information on several new movies that are also in the works for release in the near-future, many of whom could include a Kang appearance with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars almost certainly set to feature Jonathan Majors as the character.

“Jonathan is a phenomenal actor and comes in prepared and so thoughtful,” executive producer Brian Gay previously told ComicBook.com. “And I think part of the fun is that we got someone who is so talented that he can play as they say in Loki, the low keys and the high keys, and go across the whole range with him. I’m so excited for everyone to see the incredible work he’s done. I think that he’s an incredible presence on the MCU. And when he steps on screen, you know that Kang is there. He gives that embodiment and that gravitas that’s so focal to that character.”