Jonathan Majors Is More Than a Marvel Supervillain

Inside​ ​the​ ​captivating​ ​mind​ ​of​ ​a new Hollywood star.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story September 2, 2022 In February 2023, the actor Jonathan Majors will emerge as a central villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following up on his episode-stealing debut as He Who Remains in the "Loki" series last year, Majors will reappear as a far more inimical version of that multifarious Marvel character, the time-traveling antagonist Kang the Conqueror, in the movie "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." "It's become a cliché over the decades to compare somebody to a young Marlon Brando, but Jonathan has that," Peyton Reed, the "Ant-Man" director, told me. "He has just this energy and this presence, and our movie is definitely benefiting from that." The role is no one-off. Kang will influence what happens in what Marvel refers to as "Phase 5" and "Phase 6" of its ever-expanding roster of superhero movies and series; the fifth film in the Avengers franchise, for example, is currently scheduled for release in 2025 with the title "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty." The character of Kang offers a distinct opportunity because he is a character with numerous identities across numerous timelines. Some of his aliases in the Marvel comic books: Victor Timely, Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Blue Man, Lord of the Seven Suns, King of Kings, Master of Men, Victor Timely Jr., Victor Timely III, Scarlet Centurion — it's a vast sandlot for an actor to play in. And the results may be some of the more multivalent, ugly, ridiculous and dark work we have seen from Marvel yet. And this is the kind of spiky character Majors has been preparing to play for all his professional life. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times Jonathan Majors Is More Than a Marvel Supervillain Inside​ ​the​ ​captivating​ ​mind​ ​of​ ​a new Hollywood star. By Rowan Ricardo Phillips Subscribe Today We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times with this special offer. MORE FROM THE MAGAZINE Paolo Pellegrin/Magnum, for The New York Times Witness to the Massacre in Mariupol Survivors describe the defining atrocity of the war in Ukraine. By James Verini Philip Montgomery for The New York Times How Justin Tucker Became the Greatest Kicker in N.F.L. History The confidence, persistence, and all-out obsession required to play the least understood position on the field. By Wil S. Hylton Mamadi Doumbouya for The New York Times Talk A Catholic Podcasting Star Says Theocracy Is Not the Way "All of us get a say," says Father Mike Schmitz. "From the deeply religious to the convicted atheist and everyone in between." By David Marchese Stay in touch: Follow us on Twitter (@NYTmag) or check us out on Instagram. Appreciated this email? Forward it to a friend and help us grow. Loved a story? Hated it? Write us a letter at magazine@nytimes.com. Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here to get the magazine newsletter. Listen to narrated versions of our articles every week. Download Audm for iPhone or Android. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The New York Times Magazine from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018