Jonathan Majors of Quantumania responded to criticisms of his Kang in the movie Ant-Man and the Wasp.
The actor’s comment was made shortly after Ant-Man 3 received the lowest Rotten Tomatoes rating in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
While Majors’ first appearance as comic book villain Kang was in Quantumania, his second Marvel Studios film, Ant-Man 3 marks just the start of the actor’s MCU adventure.
Yet, Majors continues to be committed to his vision for the time-related tyrant despite the conflicting reactions spectators have had to his debut movie.
Response from Ant-Man Star to Kang Criticism
Jonathan Majors stated in an interview with TheWrap that “Haters gonna come,” in response to internet criticism of his portrayal of Kang in Ant-Man 3.
It is an understatement to say that playing the villain comes with pressure given Kang’s lengthy comic book background and fan anticipation for the next major villain from Marvel Studios.
Although Jonathan Majors is well aware of this fact, he also admits that “getting it right” and “getting it truthful” are not the same thing.
The Creed 3 actor continued by saying that he is “changing the lens” through which he views the high-stakes scenario in order to see it as support rather than pressure:
“I very much respect the MCU fans and the comic book fans. I respect Stan Lee and his vision, I thank him, I’m honored to be a part of it. I also honor Kevin Feige and everything they’ve done, the art that they’ve made. So it’s about support, you know, it’s about changing that lens and not seeing it as pressure, but support.”
Majors claims he’s “not in the interwebs” or somewhere he can “feel that opposition,” despite how well-known both the actor and his Marvel villain have become.
As he puts it, “there is a good bit of it, that is from them and for them:” he is instead committed to maintaining a balance of the “comic books.“
“Haters gonna come. If you’re doing anything right, you know, you will have opposition, and that’s OK. But I’m not in the interwebs or on the streets where I can feel that opposition. So my job is to create with an open heart, as boldly and as bravely as I can. And I’m keeping the comic books in mind, I’m also keeping the audience’s in mind as I create it. And there is a good deal of it, that is from them and for them. There’s a great deal that’s for and from me, and for and from the MCU team and family.”
Majors claims that he hopes that this method of dealing with Kang “hits a tone of universality” and also provides him with the “template for Kang:”
“And hopefully all of that hits a tone of universality. And that gives us you know, the template for Kang and how I move forward in it.”
Kang the Conqueror is “an actor’s dream or an actor’s nightmare,” the Ant-Man 3 star continued, because “there’s no hiding.”
Nonetheless, Majors are motivated by the role’s immensely scary nature:
“Listen, it’s probably an actor’s dream or an actor’s nightmare, you know what I mean? The level of the level of difficulty is high, and the character is quite high profile. So, you know, there’s no hiding. That just happens to gas up my engine, which I quite like. I like the high stakes.”
Where Kang goes from here is a question not only for the MCU as it approaches The Kang Dynasty, but also for Majors, who says, “there’s no limit. The only limit on the character is my instrument:”
“Kang has a chip on his shoulder, I can get with that. I understand what that is. And so for me, it is indeed a dream. Not just the role, but where the role is being put up, where we’re doing it. You know, this happens in cinemas, this happens with the largest franchise in the history of franchises — enterprises, rather — with the MCU. And there’s no limit. The only limit on the character is my instrument. And so every time I get after it, I get to challenge myself to grow and get better. And so that is great. That is great.”
Kang Philosophy of Jonathan Majors
Despite some fans’ criticism of the first Phase 5 picture from Marvel Studios, Jonathan Majors’ performance has generally been regarded as one of the threequel’s high points.
Yet understanding how Majors sees the character is instructive regardless of whether viewers identified with this Kang or how the movie handled his debut.
The performer sounds intensely focused on his goal, much like the villain himself. But, he is accepting the responsibilities of this role and using the pressure as an opportunity, just like a Marvel hero would.
Those who were disappointed with Majors’ portrayal of Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man 3 should rest easy knowing that there will be plenty more performances in the future, and he will continue to “keep the comic books in mind” while also “keeping the audience’s in mind.”
Now in theatres all throughout the world is Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
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