'Quantumania's' Kang the Conqueror is Marvel's next big villain

The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next big bad is making his big screen debut in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”

Directed by Peyton Reed, “Quantumania” introduces Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, the supervillain expected to play a big role in the next series of Marvel Studios’ film and TV projects as they march toward “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,” announced for 2025.

The first to face this new big bad of the MCU’s Phases 5 and 6 will be the multigenerational Lang-Van Dyne-Pym clan, who can also collectively be called Ant-Mans and the Wasps. The current Ant-Man, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), is basking in the aftermath of saving the world with the Avengers, while his partner, Hope van Dyne, a.k.a. the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), and daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) are busy trying to make the world a better place. But they, along with Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), eventually find themselves back in the quantum realm and pitted against Kang.

Fans will recall that this is not Majors’ first appearance in the MCU. He made his debut as a character called “He Who Remains” during the first season of “Loki.” The name Kang is never mentioned in the series, but there were plenty of clues that pointed to Majors’ character being a version of Kang.

A self-proclaimed master of time, Kang has a long history in comics dating all the way back to his debut in the 1960s. Here’s everything you need to know about Kang (and He Who Remains).

Who is Kang the Conqueror?

The time-traveling supervillain known as Kang the Conqueror was introduced in the pages of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s “Avengers” No. 8 in 1964. The issue sees him arrive out of thin air in a mysterious UFO in order to subjugate Earth. The Avengers — including then-members Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne — are called on to try to stop him.

In the comics, Kang’s original identity is Nathaniel Richards, a 31st century scholar of sorts who stumbles upon plans for a time machine created by one of his ancestors. Some details of his backstory have changed over the years as different incarnations of Kang wreaked havoc in various storylines, but he generally uses his technology to travel to all around the multiverse in order to manipulate events in his efforts to conquer all of time.

Some of his notable stops in time include ancient Egypt and the 41st century. Comic book Kang is also known for his (obsessive) love for Ravonna Renslayer — a name that should be familiar to those who watched “Loki.”

Kang is most frequently pitted against the Avengers, but he’s also tussled with other teams such as the Fantastic Four. While the Fantastic Four have yet to formally be introduced into the MCU, a Reed Richards variant had a cameo in last year’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” On the rare occasion he is not busy being a warlord trying to conquer all reality, Kang — or alternate variants of him — has fought alongside these superhero teams.