‘Loki’: Who Exactly Is Jonathan Majors’ Character?
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Loki Season 1, Episode 6, “For All Time. Always.”]
The Loki finale was filled with several jaw-dropping moments, but it’s undeniable Jonathan Majors (Lovecraft Country Emmy nominee) stole the show with his performance as He Who Remains.
The vague moniker is coined by Miss Minutes, the sentient animated clock voiced by Tara Strong, but there’s a deeper level to be reached when it comes to this mystery man’s identity. Some diehard Marvel fans had been theorizing Majors would show up as Kang the Conqueror, a character he’s been cast as for the upcoming film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania with Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly.
And while it is never explicitly stated that he is Kang, it’s clear that Majors’ Loki character is a more benevolent force than the forthcoming MCU villain. As He Who Remains says in the episode, “I keep you safe. And if you think I’m evil, well, just wait till you meet my variants.”
Instead, He Who Remains is more likely a variant of Kang the Conqueror and it gives Majors the opportunity to tackle various versions of this incoming villain as the MCU proceeds with Phase 4. Based on the role He Who Remains plays in controlling the sacred timeline and keeping variants of himself in check to suppress a potential second multiversal war, it would seem that this variant could be inspired by Immortus from the comics.
(Credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)
Per Marvel’s official description, Immortus served as a “custodian” of the timeline and was tasked with keeping humanity and other beings from exploring the recesses of space to untangle timelines and restore order. Unlike Majors’ version, in the comics, Immortus is much older, but He Who Remains did note that he was older than he looks. He Who Remains also notes that he’s been called a conqueror, ruler, and even a jerk in the past, alluding to his Kang connection.
Either way, it should be known that He Who Remains isn’t the Kang the Conqueror, but rather a variant. Director Kate Herron confirmed this when we caught up with her following the finale, stating, “I think he’s definitely inspired, but I would say that he’s unique to the show.” And now that Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) has set the multiverse free after stabbing He Who Remains, goodness knows what lays ahead.
(Credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)
One thing is for sure though and it’s that the multiverse is opening up, giving possible fuel to rumors about the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home which some theorize could include former Spider-Men, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield alongside Tom Holland‘s version. And Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which is written by Loki‘s showrunner Michael Waldron will also expand upon the multiverse situation taking place in the MCU. Stay tuned and let us know what you thought about He Who Remains in the comments below.
Loki, Season 1, Streaming now, Disney+
