The season finale of Loki introduced us to He Who Remains, a character we soon learned was one of countless Kang the Conqueror Variants. However, fans of the comic books couldn't help but notice that this Kang had a lot in common with Immortus, a much older version of the villain who has moved on from his desire to conquer and has a storied history with the Time-Keepers and TVA.
While he was never given that name in the show, director Kate Herron addressed those similarities during an interview with Deadline that took place earlier today.
"Kang is the variant, but he’s also not technically Immortus," the filmmaker explained. "It’s a bit like Sylvie, right? She’s a unique character in relation to our story. He Who Remains is in the comics, but the version in our show was very different. He’s closer to Immortus, but he’s a unique character for our story. But Kang is a variant of that character."
He Who Remains mentioned that he was once a scientist in the 31st Century, and when the trade pointed out that the description sounds a lot like Fantastic Four character Nathaniel Richards, Herron responded: "That I cannot answer. I don’t know their plans. It’s a question for Mr. Feige."
As for whether the Kang Variant we met in the Loki finale had pure intentions or was, in fact, a villain, the director responded: "I believe him when he says, ‘Wait till you meet my variants’, and you see the fear in his eyes. The TVA has done terrible things, but is it to a good end? Probably. It’s not a good thing that Sylvie kills him and opens up this Multiverse, because we’re going to meet these other variants of him. In my head, anyway, I think he’s being genuine in that moment and honest with them."
It's been confirmed that Herron won't return to direct season two of Loki, so any questions about Marvel's plans for the show obviously can't be answered by the filmmaker. We don't know who will take charge of the series in her absence, but you have to believe Marvel Studios is already hard at work looking for a replacement.
What did you guys think about He Who Remains?