Since 2021, Jonathan Majors has been a part of Michael Waldron’s Loki series, where he portrays various Kang characters like He Who Remains and Victor Timely. Even though Marvel Studios has marketed Kang the Conqueror as the next ‘big bad’ of their shared cinematic universe, it appears that the choice to cast him was only made after he received ‘positive buzz’ for his portrayal of a time-traveling lunatic in Loki’s first season.
Majors’ tremendously successful cameo in Loki had a profoundly positive impact on the audience as well as the MCU. The authors of the recently released retrospective MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, were the first to divulge this information about Marvel’s ongoing battle to determine the course of its post-Endgame strategy.
Jonathan Majors’ Kang Became The MCU’s Next ‘Thanos-Level Threat’ After His Loki Effect
Marvel Studios, which is known for paying close attention to its audience, was unable to ignore the intense buzz surrounding Jonathan Majors after his splendid cameo in Loki. Thus, the studio’s decision to choose him as the next significant antagonist for the Multiverse saga was influenced by the positive reception of his depiction of several variants of Kang the Conqueror.
Meanwhile, in their recently published retrospective, MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, the authors (Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards) discussed the studio’s choice to start relying heavily on the multiverse as a narrative tool. They remembered how the idea was introduced to the MCU by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness because it (via Bounding Into Comics):
“Opened up new possibilities for storytelling, however, and new avenues for fan service.”
The trio continued to elaborate:
“Multiverse of Madness featured not only the All-Star Illuminati, with John Krasinksi and Patrick Stewart, but four different versions of Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange. Marvel Studios believed that audiences could follow complicated contingency timelines without comic-book-style explanatory captions, and tried not to abuse that trust.”
The authors then revealed that Kang was not initially meant to be the main antagonist of the Multiverse Saga, per a Marvel source. Considering how well Majors, 34, performed in the role, it was decided to upgrade him to a Thanos-level threat. To quote them:
“According to one Marvel source, Kang was not originally intended to be the overarching villain of the Multiverse Saga; the decision to elevate him to a Thanos-level threat was based on the positive buzz actor Jonathan Majors generated in the role.”
The Loki Executive Producer Explained Why Jonathan Majors’ Arrest Had No Impact On Season 2
Jonathan Majors would still appear in Loki Season 2, which premiered on October 5, 2023, according to executive producer Kevin Wright. The former was arrested in March (this year) after an alleged domestic dispute. In a recent interview with Variety, Wright stated that no changes have been made since Season 2 filming began well before Majors was detained earlier this year:
“This is the first Marvel series to never have any additional photography. The story that is on screen is the story we set out to make.”
The executive producer also refuted Disney or Marvel’s claims that they had discussed changing the show in any way following Majors’ arrest. Wright, 50, replied:
“I know as much as you do at the moment. It felt hasty to do anything without knowing how all of this plays out.”
Wright also cleared that the Season 2 finale makes Majors a major character and further solidifies his status as Marvel’s main antagonist:
“I think we had to just keep reminding ourselves that the TVA is a great world, let’s live in the drama of what we’re creating there. Which means not fast-forwarding through the drama that they just decided to stop pruning timelines, but also staying in the emotional turmoil that Loki and Sylvie are coming into this season with.”
Jonathan Majors played Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). Next, he will return to the roles in Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2026).
Both seasons of Loki are streaming on Disney Plus.
