One Of Marvel’s Most Infamous Villains Will Be In Ant-Man 3
It's Kang the Conqueror! And we even know the actor set to play him.
Kang the Conqueror might not sound like the most well-known villain in the Marvel universe, but mainstream audiences had no idea who Thanos was and look at where we are now! If Ant-Man 3 has its way, the baddie could become one of the more important figures in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Deadline reports that Lovecraft Country star Jonathan Majors has been tapped to appear in Ant-Man 3 as one of the lead roles and inside sources claim that he will be playing Kang the Conqueror.
In the comics, Kang the Conqueror is a time-traveling genius from the 31st century. Though he has no inherent superpowers, he is equipped with advanced future technology that includes a strength-enhancing battle armor, energy projection abilities like force fields and laser beams, and tools that allow him to control other forms of technology.
With time travel introduced in Avengers: Endgame, it was expected that the Marvel Cinematic Universe would continue to explore that idea in future movies. Kang the Conqueror is a great way to further dive into the MCU’s concept of time travel, and he could be an indication of where the larger MCU story is headed.
Kang the Conqueror first appeared in the Fantastic Four comic book as Rama-Tut, an Egyptian pharaoh from the future. As the comics further explored his character, it was revealed that he was Nathaniel Richards, a potential descendant of Reed Richards, the leader of the Fantastic Four.
After Disney merged with Fox, they were able to reclaim all of the Marvel characters that were owned by the former movie studio. Many people took note of the X-Men being a big reclamation, but Fox also owned the Fantastic Four and any characters that originated in their comics. That would include Kang the Conqueror.
So, does the appearance of Kang the Conqueror mean that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is finally planning to bring in the Fantastic Four? With alternate timeline universes being introduced in Avengers: Endgame, could Marvel’s First Family be entering the story from an alternate world? Or will there be some other time travel explanation to help bring them into the proper MCU?
Introducing Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man 3 definitely implies that the time travel elements will be heavily featured and focused on. Both Ant-Man movies introduced big, game-changing physics to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it is very possible that Ant-Man 3 could do the same thing with time travel. While Avengers: Endgame did introduce a specific kind of time travel to the MCU universe, Ant-Man 3 could be used to better define those time travel rules.
Peyton Reed, who directed the first two films, will return to direct the next entry. Jeff Loveness (Rick and Morty) will be writing the script. His involvement definitely adds some credence to the idea that time travel will play a big part in the story. It is going to be interesting to see Kang the Conqueror make his big screen debut and Majors will bring a lot to the role. We’re looking forward to any more updates on this project and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
