Summary
Lokiis arguably the most popularMCUshow, but its success actually had unforeseen consequences for another MCU multiverse project.Lokiseason 1 was highly anticipated because of how much of a fan-favorite character Loki is. Little did fans know at the time, the series would also be responsible for kickstarting the Multiverse Saga in many ways, making it a crucial part ofthe MCU timeline. Among the setups was the introduction of He Who Remains, a variant of Kang the Conqueror, who initially looked posed to be the main antagonist of theMultiverse Saga.
These plans for Kang have been revised followingthe MCU cutting ties with Jonathan Majors, but the character was supposed to play a huge role in the multiversal drama. Marvel usedLokito introduce He Who Remains so that his story would already be set up by the time Kang himself hit the big screen. The antagonist made his film debut inAnt-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania, but the success of He Who Remains inLokiput the film at a disadvantage from the start.
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Loki’s He Who Remains Story Was Better Than Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania’s Kang Debut
Loki Was Meant To Set Up Quantumania
He Who Remains’s story inLokiwas meant to set up Kang’s introduction inAnt-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania, but it ended up majorly overshadowing it instead. He Who Remains was set up as the looming threat throughout the first chapter of the show, so he feels all the more menacing when he’s finally shown in the flesh in theLoki season 1 finale. On the other hand, Kang is constantly present throughoutQuantumania, yet seldom feels as intimidating.
Many of the MCU projects in Phases 4 and 5 have suffered from fans not watching every Disney+ series. Many shows have flown under the radar, which means fans miss crucial information, leading to scenarios such as the confusion surrounding who Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau were inThe Marvels. However,LokiandAnt-Man and The Wasp: Quantumaniahave the opposite issue, as watchingLokisabotages theQuantumaniaviewing experience, sinceKang’s debut is underwhelming compared to He Who Remains.
Loki Season 1’s Stellar Story Made Quantumania’s Kang Plot Look Even Worse
Kang’s Plot Was Already Weak On Its Own
Lokiseason 1 had a strong story written for He Who Remains, despite Loki and Sylvie only confronting him face-to-face in the finale. His power over the timelines along with Sylvie’s disdain for him is continuously built up throughout the season. He Who Remains insists that his death will bring about worse things for reality, so when Sylvie really does kill him at the Citadel at the End of Time, there’s a sense of dread about what the following events will be. As foreshadowed, He Who Remains’ death results in the fracturing of the Multiverse.
Unfortunately forQuantumania,Kang’s MCU storyis nowhere near as impactful as He Who Remains’. Kang was being set up as a terrifying villain for the MCU, with the fifthAvengersfilm even being initially namedThe Kang Dynasty. However, Kang needing Ant-Man’s help to escape the Quantum Zone undermines this to a fair degree, and it doesn’t help thatScott is able to defeat him considerably easilyat the end of the film. His story on its own already isn’t very impactful, but comparing it directly toLoki’s He Who Remains plot makes all the flaws much more noticeable.
Quantumania’s Movie Limits Made It Almost Impossible To Match Loki
Kang’sQuantumaniadebut really suffered from the bland plot, but it was also impacted by something that can be considered out of the project’s control. He Who Remains was always set to have an advantage when it came to his personal story, since his character was developed over six episodes ofLokiseason 1. Kang’s story had to play out in just one movie, which goes to explain why so much of his development feels rushed.There wasn’t enough time to build up how much of a threat Kang truly was, so he ended up looking pretty tame.
The MCU Already Explained How Doctor Doom Can Replace Kang For Avengers 5 A Year Ago
While Avengers 5 changing from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday was a surprise, it’s one the MCU has already set up for in its story.
It’s hard to say exactly where Kang’s MCU introduction went wrong. Past MCU films have also had no issue producing strong villains within the timeframe of one movie, such as Killmonger and Hela. However, the fact that He Who Remains or the Council of Kangs' respective debuts felt like they were on a grander scale doesn’t look to have done Kang’sQuantumaniastory any favors, even thoughLokiset a truly promising precedent via its own Kang variant.
