Loki Director Reveals Intentions for Kang Variant

Loki director Kasra Farahani revealed his plan for the latest Kang the Conqueror variant. Victor Timely stepped onto the scene in Episode 3 of Season 2. Speaking to ComicBook.com, the director explained how they put the focus on the brilliant inventor headed back to TVA. Farahani talked about working with the writers, producers, and Jonathan Majors to make Timely feel distinct from the other Kang’s people have come across in the MCU so far. Here’s what he had to sa

“I think the first and foremost goal was to really take advantage of and milk the tension of the mystery around who this Kang variant was going to be,” Farahani told ComicBook.com. “We knew that there was going to be a Kang variant and we even knew when and where we could expect to see him. But, what we didn’t know is what his nature would be. And so, it was really fun to keep this character shrouded until that last moment where you finally see what he’s about and hopefully subvert some expectations.”

“Timely was such a fun character to work on and to help build with the other writers, and the other directors, and, of course, Jonathan. You know, he’s like this Einstein-like figure. This figure who’s brilliant and ahead of his time. He probably had a ton of potential. But, when Miss Minutes and Renslayer dropped this book into his life and his childhood, it just puts him on this crazy trajectory to becoming this super advanced person,” he added. “So, like so many of those people, he’s operating at a level higher than most people. And we wanted to see that. The charm and quirk and that disarming quality of him combined with his brilliance. But, there’s also this level of like a con man in him.” 

Victor Timely Debuts As A Showman

For all intents and purposes, Timely is a bit of con man in his Episode 3 introduction. While that’s not the totality of the character, those elements are definitely played up in Jonathan Majors’ performance and the script. However, Farahani was quick to point out that these inventions were indeed legitimate, just hampered by the technology of the time. When speaking to ComicBook.com, it becomes clear that a measure of this clever deception was probably necessary in the environment of 1893 as a Black inventor who was having a hard time being taken seriously by potential investors and colleagues.

“And in my mind, I think of that as coming right out of what it, what the experience of being a black man in the late 19th century in this country probably required, if you’re trying to operate at a business level, on an invention level and trying to get into that. You probably had to use your wits a lot and probably had to just be clever on your feet. And also on top of that, the sum of this con,” the director added. “These cons come out of the fact that his brilliant ideas, which are bonafide and are truly brilliant. They can’t be executed with the primitive technology of 1893. So, he’s just like ‘They’re placeholders until he can get the tech it needs to make this stuff for real.’”

Victor Timely’s Real-Life Inspiration

Victor Timely is actually inspired by a real-life inventor named Granville Woods. Farahani spoke to Variety about this revelation last week. Majors reportedly played a big role in helping the writers and the directors figure out what Timely’s entire deal would be. Even the beef with Edison is inspired by Woods’ own clashes with the famous inventor. While Timely is not Kang the Conqueror, he certainly has some similar traits that have a cause for concern. Check out what the director had to say right now.

“We took a lot of inspiration from a figure that that I had come across and I talked to Jonathan about named Granville Woods,” Farahani shared. “He was a Black inventor from the exactly the era Timely would have lived, who invented so many amazing things. He was constantly having his patents challenged by other prominent inventors. Edison tried to claim two of his patents; lost in court both times; ended up offering Woods a job. Woods turned it down.”

Loki Heads Towards A Wild Episode 4

Marvel Studios fan-favorite Tom Hiddleston stars in Loki Season 2, returning as the titular God of Mischief for another round of time-traveling hijinx on Disney+ on October 6th. Loki is once again joined by Mobius (Owen Wilson) as the two attempt to keep the timelines intact. After the events of Season 1 saw his variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) kill He Who Remains and unleash the wrath of Kang the Conqueror upon the Multiverse, Loki must once again embark on an adventure to keep reality from collapsing. 

Loki was last seen in the post-credits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, where he and Mobius were keeping tabs on one of Kang’s mysterious variants. Loki Season 2 will continue the story of the Multiverse Saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Have you enjoyed Victor Timely so far? Let us know down in the comments!