Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conquerer has been Marvel’s new Big Bad for some time now, but fans were still surprised to see the actor featured in the latest Loki trailer. While Majors only appears briefly as Victor Timely, a 20th Century variant of Kang, the fact he’s reprising his role at all (especially in the wake of serious domestic abuse charges) tells us all we need to know about his role in Loki Season 2.
Well, almost everything. So much of Majors’ presence in Loki could still be up in the air. Whether Marvel will decide to edit down his appearance or release the series as is, the studio is facing a major moral dilemma. For now, though, it seems like Kang is here to stay, and new Loki promo images might have revealed when fans can expect his return.
Marvel recently released a few stills of Loki Season 2, one of which features Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha Raw) in early 20th-century garb. It’s safe to assume she’s traveled to the year 1901 to see Victor Timely in action, just as Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson) inevitably will. One of Quantumania’s credits scenes already set the stage for a run-in with Timely, and it seems like Loki will be spending a big chunk of its season at the turn of the century.
The Ravonna image was pulled from the season’s third episode, and that could be the first time we see Timely. Kang’s Gilded Age variant is apparently set to appear in at least three of Loki’s six episodes, and much of that time might be spent with Ravonna. She and Kang have a complex relationship in the comics, where they’re on-and-off lovers and Ravonna serves as his primary motive to hop around the timeline. She also becomes one of his biggest weaknesses when it’s time to fight the Avengers.
Marvel may choose not to adapt every aspect of their relationship, but it’s clear Ravonna’s playing a much bigger role in Loki Season 2. At the end of Season 1, she was disillusioned with the TVA and embarked on a quest to find “the truth” behind the institution. That search is leading her to Kang, so wherever she is, we should expect to see him too.
