Kang the Conqueror: Jonathan Majors packed on ten pounds of pure muscle to play Marvel’s latest villain

We’re used to seeing actors like Hugh Jackman, Chris Evans, or Chris Hemsworth get absolutely ripped to play superheroes, but that commitment extends to the supervillains as well. Following in the footsteps of Thanos (Josh Brolin), the next major villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be Kang the Conqueror. Jonathan Majors (Lovecraft Country) will make his debut as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and it sounds like the actor packed on the muscle to make sure he was ready for the role.

In a Men’s Health cover story, it’s said that Jonathan Majors put on ten pounds of muscle to play Kang the Conqueror for the Ant-Man sequel. He started working with strength-and-conditioning coach Jamie Sawyer. “He is the warrior version of Kang,” Sawyer explained, “so there was a focus on what that warrior would look like who’s been around through the ages and has developed every type of combat skill. It was about making him look like an imposing figure.” When Majors signed on, he knew that the physical transformation would be part of the job. “I look at Kang and I go, ‘Okay, cool. It’s a certain IP where people expect this at a bare minimum,’” Majors said. “No one should put themselves or their families in a place where they’re hurting, but your own discomfort is not necessarily a bad thing. That’s growth. It’s not comfortable, but you’re here to save the world, aren’t you? Or take over the world.“

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has previously explained that Kang will be a totally different villain from Thanos. “What I love is that he’s totally different from Thanos,” Feige said. “That it’s not just how about there’s a bigger purple guy with a helmet? That’s not what Kang is. Kang is a very different type of villain and the fact that he is many, many different characters is what’s most exciting and most differentiates him.” Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is set to hit theaters on February 17, 2023. The first trailer for the movie was released at San Diego Comic-Con earlier this summer but hasn’t officially been released online yet.