Loki kept us all on the edge of our seats while teasing the identity of whoever was really in charge of the Time Variance Authority. However, the reveal that it was He Who Remains, a Kang the Conqueror Variant, came as a legit shocker and a sign Marvel Studios was taking the Multiverse seriously.
The ancient villain had managed to create a singular "sacred" timeline, keeping his Variants in check and ensuring another Multiversal war could never break out.
He offered Loki and Sylvie the chance to take his place, and shortly before the latter killed him, he warned her that his death would mean very little. Why? Because even after another war, the nature of the Multiverse means he would end up right back where he started, ruling over a timeline that he controls with his TVA.
Time will (literally) tell how true that prophecy winds up being, but actor Jonathan Majors has now addressed some of the differences between He Who Remains and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania's Kang the Conqueror.
"I'm so radical about my language around it because I say, He Who Remains is He Who Remains. I don't even call him Kang. He may or may not be a Kang variant," the actor tells Total Film (via /Film). "I leave my mind open to think that Kang the Conqueror may be a He Who Remains variant. It has to be that lucid for me to keep it going."
"But, no, there are no similarities between the two roles. I did play Kang the Conqueror second. I didn't even look at the He Who Remains template regarding Kang. On purpose."
While Loki's He Who Remains was undeniably unhinged, Majors was quick to point out that "there's no frivolity" with Kang.
"Kang himself is very economical. He understands energy, time, and what is needed to survive. He doesn't suffer fools. Which is interesting because, not to say anything pejorative about Ant-Man, but Ant-Man is a jokester. He's a funny guy. And now you've got Scott Lang going up against Kang the Conqueror, who does not joke."
"He does have a sense of humor. And you'll discover that. But he does not joke."
It sounds like we should definitely be terrified of Kang, something that was evident from a new TV spot which saw the villain wonder whether Ant-Man is among The Avengers he's killed!
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania arrives in theaters on February 17, while Loki season 2 - which is expected to feature more Kang Variants - premieres on Disney+ this summer.