To exalt a hero, you need a villain worthy of it, as he taught us Mission Impossible 2. A lesson that the Marvel Cinematic Universe must also show that it has learned, especially now that with the beginning of Phase Five it will have to demonstrate its ability to present characters to fans who make them forget the doubts that arose with Phase Four. The first film to have to pass this exam will give Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantummania, which will finally see the awaited Kang the Conqueror show himself in all his ferocious power, played again by Jonathan Mayor, who in Loki had already given the face to one of the variants of the character, the One who Remains. As proof of how important the caliber of a villain is, it was in a recent interview revealed by Jonathan Majors the inspiration for Kang the Conqueror.
Jonathan Majors reveals the inspiration for Kang the Conqueror, the new villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
The history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has presented us with several villains of great depth, not least the great villain of the Avengers Saga, Thanos. Mindful of these great characters, Jonathan Majors looked for inspiration for Kang in other famous villains, starting with Thanos (Josh Brolin), Loki (Tom Hiddleston) And Ultron (James Spader)also broadening his vision by drawing on literary classics, such as Shakespeare’s Iago, which the actor considers to be the perfect model of supreme villain, as revealed in Empire MagazineAnd:
First I met the guys from Loki, then Peyton (Peyton Redd, director of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Ed) arrived and we had our chat for the film, during which he gave me some point of reference , like Alexander the Great.
Non-random reference, given the nickname of Kang and the legendary rise of Alexander the Great, one of the greatest leaders in history, capable of creating an incredible empire before turning thirty. Kang’s obsession with historycomic trait of the character, and his will to create an empire that dominates the multiverse could be strongly influenced by a personality like that of the Macedonian leader, obtaining that charisma of an unbeatable villain that is expected from the character.
But not only historical figures have come under Majorsma’s scrutiny, as the actor mentions another comic book movie that had a big influence on his preparation:
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is one of those rare films that entertains at the highest level while simultaneously challenging the viewers with each scene to investigate their own and social context, teasing our eyes with a color palette that heralds meanings, and spurs the our imagination and the collective subconscious
After witnessing the presence of a villain like Thanos, the new villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to be able to establish himself as an equally fearsome presence. Kang’s comic past is a good starting point, but as always, the transition to the big screen also requires an impeccable interpretation, which enhances the specific traits of this villain. The idea of looking for inspiration also in historical figures is still intriguing, considering how Nathaniel Richards, the true identity of Kang, has traveled through time playing central roles in human evolution, and this study by Mayor could also help show a certain nature of the character.
To find out if this creative process will bear fruit we must be patient until February 15th, when Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will arrive in Italian cinemas.
