Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania writer on how the humanity of Kang the Conqueror separates him from Thanos

Kang the Conqueror is coming, and he’s set to kick off Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a big way. Following in the footsteps of Thanos will be no easy task, but Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness told SFX Magazine that Kang’s humanity is what sets him apart.

“To me it’s all about the humanity,“Jeff Loveness said. “Obviously Thanos is a great, iconic villain, but he’s also a big purple CGI guy. He’s an alien from outer space. The thing I really wanted to lean into is that Kang is a human being. Kang’s also a very lonely character. We’re going to be seeing a lot of him in a lot of different ways going forward, but I really wanted to introduce the humanity and even the vulnerability of this character before he gets to such apocalyptic, Avengers-scale heights.“

Phase 4 of the MCU has been criticized as uneven and lacking a cohesive narrative, but Jeff Loveness feels it was more about introducing new characters and setting the stage for the new Multiverse Saga. As the first film of Phase 5, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will kick things into high gear. “I think we’re setting things up for a pretty dynamic story,” Loveness said. “As I’m building to Avengers I want it to feel like a generational struggle. Phase 4 felt like the birth of new characters. You’re giving everyone a little bit of a breath, you’re broadening out the universe, you have fun Disney Plus shows that are elevating characters. And now I think it’s time to put the pedal to the gas again, and really take all these new characters that we like and throw them into the fire.” Loveness added that Kang the Conqueror is “a top-tier, A-list Avengers villain. What do you do when you feel you’re not enough against that? How do you step up to face the challenge of this generation, who is Thanos on an exponential level? He’s almost this infinite Thanos.“

“Superhero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp,” reads the official synopsis. “Together, with Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought possible.“

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will hit theaters on February 17th.