Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been in something of a holding pattern. Still dealing with the aftermath of "Endgame," several Marvel projects have been delayed because of COVID-19.
But work has continued on upcoming projects even if production has been halted. A new major villain seems to be on his way to the MCU. With an actor already set to play him.
Jonathan Majors reportedly playing Kang the Conqueror
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is apparently bringing Kang the Conqueror into the fold. Kang is a time-traveling villain who has had numerous alter egos over the years. The character was debuted in 1963, created by the iconic duo of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kang is to appear in the next MCU movie headlined by Ant-Man. Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly are slated to return in their roles of Ant-Man and the Wasp. Director Peyton Reed is also reportedly coming back for another turn. Television and comic book writer Jeff Loveness, new to the franchise, serves as the screenwriter.
Actor Jonathan Majors has been tapped to play Kang the Conqueror. A relative newcomer, Majors, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. In 2016, he received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama in Connecticut. He's best known for his role on the HBO series "Lovecraft Country."
Could be part of integrating other iconic characters into the MCU
Disney's takeover of 21st Century Fox opened the door for new opportunities for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Most notably, the integration of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, as indicated by Entertainment Weekly.
Although the titles are among Marvel's most famous, Fox-owned the movie rights to them, leaving them out of reach for Marvel Studios, a Walt Disney Studios subsidiary, Marvel had managed to strike agreements with Sony and Universal.
This gave them access to characters such as Spider-Man and the Hulk. But a similar agreement never came to pass with Fox. But that's no longer a problem. How much or little Marvel takes advantage of this is as of yet unclear. A new Deadpool movie was the first significant domino to fall.
But the introduction of Kang the Conqueror could be an indicator. One version of the character comes with the alter ego of Nathaniel Richards. Father of Reed Richards and father-in-law of Susan Richards. Also known as Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, who make up one half of the Fantastic Four.
There are other versions of the character. Ones that don't have a direct connection to the Fantastic Four. So it's still possible that the speculation could be much ado about nothing.