In a recent interview, Jonathan Majors talked about preparing for his role in Marvel’s ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ with director Destin Daniel Cretton.
It may appear as though Jonathan Majors is appearing in everything these days, and that’s because he has been.
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Over the weekend, Michael B. Jordan shared the first look of Majors as boxer Damian “Dame” Anderson in “Creed III” at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Gala and Variety’s honoring event at Newport Beach Film Festival.
Majors summed up his whirlwind past few months simply: “It’s just the season,” he told Variety’s Angelique Jackson at Newport Beach on Sunday.
It has most definitely been actor Majors’ season as of late. He was recently praised at the festival with an Artist of Distinction award for his top-notch role in “Devotion.” In the film, he acts out pioneering fighter pilot Jesse Brown–the Navy’s first Black aviator. Following that part, he has even more upcoming movies lined up, one of which fans are incredibly excited for: His portrayal of Kang the Conqueror in Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” The movie is set to come out next February.
Majors expressed his delight at joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe to Variety’s Marc Malkin at Saturday’s Academy Gala, remarking that “every time they call and say, ‘Hey, we need you for this,’ it’s another miracle.
The actor is only taking his Marvel duties “scene by scene,” but he knows very well how big of a deal to be part of these movies. “Every time there’s an event about it or something breaks about it, I go, ‘Yeah this is real,'” he said.
The first time he saw himself in the role of Kang, Majors wasn’t sure if it was him on screen. “Because he looks different than I do. He is a different man than I am. He used all my material, but he’s a different cat,” he cracked. “When I first heard the trailer, I didn’t recognize the voice, and he was narrating the whole thing. I was like, ‘What is that?’ I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a great line. That’s a bar; that is a bar.’ And then they showed who it is and I was like, ‘Oh, oh, oh, okay, cool.'”
The world has yet to get their first glimpse at Kang — save for lucky fans who saw the trailer at Comic-Con and D23 — but everyone has seen the actor’s recent physical transformation, courtesy of his ab-tastic Men’s Health cover, which exploded onto the internet last week. The recipe for those: “Work. Time. Prayer. Rice and chicken, six times a day,” he quipped, noting that the training wasn’t “hard,” but it was like an event. It was a year-and-a-half of his life with a regimen of “Wake up, workout, act, sleep, repeat.”
Kang’s road as part of Marvel’s Phase 5 will lead to the 2025 film, “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” This was recently announced by Destin Daniel Cretton, who is also directing “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” On Sunday at the Newport Best Film Festival, Majors confirmed that he and Cretton have already begun talking about the story arc.
“Well, we just had a few chats. We spoke for a very long time,” Majors shared. “He’s an open mind. He’s an open heart. He and the work that he does is grounded, and that’s the most important part about it.”
He proceeded by explaining Cretton’s importance.
“We’re dealing with myths: what is a ‘Kang’? What is a movie? You know, what is an MCU movie? What does that mean? What’s that look like?” Majors observed. “Those are the questions we are asking, but all of that works when it’s grounded and really, really really, tucked into the given circumstances of what’s going on between these people and what we can illuminate for ourselves as a species.”
The question of what makes Kang — who is set up to be the MCU’s new primary antagonist — a villain is still in question. “What is a villain?”
After his MCU moment, Majors will play an amateur bodybuilder in “Magazine Dreams” and then act opposite Willem Dafoe in “The Man in My Basement,” the film adaptation of Walter Mosley’s bestselling novel. The Emmy-nominated actor is also interested in playing Dennis Rodman in Lionsgate’s “48 Hours in Vegas,” about the then-Chicago Bulls stars’ infamous trip during the 1998 NBA Finals.
“His character as a man is one that is unbridled,” Majors said of Rodman, explaining that questions like “What is to be free? To make your choices, regardless of the impending consequences?” are what he most loves to explore.
“He’s eclectic. He’s an open mind. He’s an open heart. And, selfishly, you want to play a role like that because it’s gonna push you to that place,” Majors explained. “Jesse Brown teaches me things about my soul and spirit. I know Rodman’s going to too, and I’m just looking forward to getting into it.”
For the time being, Majors is concentrated on “Devotion.” The film, directed by J.D. Dillard, had its world premiere in September at the Toronto International Film Festival. It has been advancing across the festival circuit ever since, receiving high praise at every stop.
“My brother, the president of Newport [Beach Film Fest.] pulled me aside, and he’s been very complimentary about the film. He said that his father was in the Navy and loved that it was a true depiction of it,” Majors shared. “When I looked at his face, I felt he meant it. He’s a middle-aged, beautiful man from a different background and myself, and he’s being touched by it. So I go, okay, that’s what we want to do.”
At the event, Majors was joined by Dillard, who presented him with the award. His co-star Christina Jackson was also in attendance and honored as one of Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch.
Majors was more excited about Jackson’s success than his own. “I remember how we worked on the set together — her excitement, her focus, her willingness to try,” he explained. “I’ve been watching her for a long time, and so I’m glad everybody else is waking up.”
“Devotion” hits theaters on Nov. 23.
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