Ant-Man 3 – titled Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – just unveiled its first trailer, but who is the villain in the movie? Here’s a quick breakdown of Kang the Conqueror and other possible foes.
When Paul Rudd made his debut as Ant-Man in 2015, he faced off against Yellowjacket (Corey Stoll), a corporate megalomaniac wishing to sell the Pym shrinking technology to Hydra.
In 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, the titular pair contend with Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) in their efforts to save Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) from the Quantum Realm.
In Ant-Man 3, Scott Lang is set to face one of his most dangerous villains yet – and that’s before we get to the other guys, so let’s break down who Marvel fans should expect to see.
Who are the villains in Ant-Man 3?
Ant-Man 3 is set to feature three separate villains:
- Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror
- Bill Murray as Lord Krylar
- Corey Stoll as MODOK
Kang is the main villain of the movie, as well as the MCU’s next big bad, especially with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty on the horizon, which will come before Secret Wars.
Ant-Man 3: Who is Kang the Conqueror?
Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors, is a famous Marvel supervillain. His real name is Nathaniel Richards, and he was first introduced in the MCU in Loki.
In the season finale, Sylvie killed He Who Remains at the end of time, causing all sorts of chaos we’re only beginning to see in the MCU. Just before the credits rolled, Loki returned to the TVA to find statues of the same man.
This suggests his evolution into Kang, and we know Ant-Man 3 will feature the “warrior” variant of the character.
First look at Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror. pic.twitter.com/eGHhphVLv2
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 24, 2022
Speaking to Collider about playing multiple versions of the same character, Majors said: “I think the thing about Kang, even the comic books, he contains multitudes.
“For me, it’s a great exploration of myself, just to figure out how much of myself can I explore and share? That’s the opportunity that Kang and He Who Remains offers.”
“The time-traveling despot Kang the Conqueror is aptly named, using all his resources and technology from the future to rule as many universes as possible while there’s still time,” his Marvel bio reads.
“Kang is his own worst enemy, constantly trying to prevent the future or undo the past. By doing so, he inadvertently creates variants of himself who sometimes hinder his world-conquering goals. Such variants include Immortus, Rama Tut, and Iron Lad.
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“In his travels through time, he becomes a time-misplaced menace to the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and other heroic teams. He will occasionally team up with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes when the time calls for it.”
Ant-Man 3: Who is Bill Murray’s villain and is it Krylar?
Bill Murray will star as Lord Krylar in Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania.
An official press release explains: “LORD KRYLAR is the governor of Axia, a bizarre and cushy community within the Quantum Realm.
“Call him cowardly or self-centered, Krylar unapologetically enjoys the high life his status grants him – expensive meals, exotic cocktails and top-notch transportation aboard his huge pleasure yacht. It seems he and Janet are old acquaintances – but the details are vague, and she’d like to keep it that way. Bill Murray portrays Lord Krylar.”
He first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #156. He’s nothing more than a scientist with green skin from the tiny planet of K’ai, introduced as the Hulk travels through the Micro-Verse – and he’s killed off in his first scene.
So, why would Marvel choose Krylar for Murray, given his stature as a comic actor? Well, his story – no matter how short-lived it may be – could be used to tie into other Hulk storylines, especially after the She-Hulk finale. Also, with Krylar having next-to-no backstory, there’s more scope to explore the character.
Ant-Man 3: Who is MODOK?
Corey Stoll, who earlier played Darren Cross in the first Ant-Man movie, will play MODOK.
In the comics, MODOK is the supervillain identity taken on by George Tarleton, which stands for “Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing.”
Tarleton worked for Advanced Idea Mechanics, an arms-dealing organization specializing in futuristic weaponry. After creating the Cosmic Cube, the Scientist Supreme forced him to undergoe a mutagenic experiment which increased his intelligence… with the price of his head growing freakishly large.
He could no longer walk, so he was placed in a hoverchair (known as the Doomsday Chair) for mobility, and he ended up killing his creators and taking control of the organization.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is due for release on February 17, 2023. Find out more here.
