All The Kang The Conqueror References You Missed In Loki Episode 5
In September 2020, Jonathan Majors found himself at the center of the latest MCU rumor mill. Deadline revealed Majors joined the ranks of the MCU — specifically that he would be playing opposite Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lily in the upcoming film "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania." Right from the start, the rumor put Majors in the role of Marvel baddie Kang the Conqueror — a role Majors neither confirmed nor denied at first. However, considering he's literally signing his name using "Kang" in the signature, it's safe to say that the secret is out.
Despite how well-oiled a machine the MCU tends to be and no matter how far ahead Kevin Feige plans ahead, it's hard not to think it's a tad strange to have Majors announced for such a major role when his supposed first appearance "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania" isn't due in theaters until February 17, 2023. Unless, of course, Kang is set to show up earlier. Fans of the Disney Plus series "Loki" are hypothesizing that Majors' debut as Kang the Conqueror is coming on July 14 with the sixth and final episode of "Loki." There are a lot of reasons to think this fan theory is correct, and the fifth episode of "Loki" has only increased the likelihood that Kang is about to show his face.
The fate of Avengers Tower on Loki has a big Kang connection
Even before "Loki" aired its first episode, Kang was already a strong possibility for being the show's villain. The show deals with time travel; Kang is a time traveler. The cast includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ravonna Renslayer; Kang falls in love with a princess with that name in the 41st century. Since "Loki" started airing, the Kang rumors have only grown more intense. This was especially true in the show's fourth episode "The Nexus Event," when it is revealed that the Timekeepers (the supposed rulers of the TVA) are fake. More importantly, one of the fake Timekeepers bears a resemblance to Kang.
However, it wasn't until "Loki" episode five "Journey Into Mystery" where it started to feel like Kang must at least make a cameo. There are two Kang connections from that episode which you may have missed. As Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his variant contemporaries set across the wasteland of the Void at the end of time, they encounter a destroyed version of New York City. Among the rubble is what appears to Avengers Tower, except there's a different name on it: Qeng. During the All-New, All Different Avengers run at Marvel Comics, Avengers Tower does take on new ownership in the form of Qeng Industries CEO, Mr. Gryphon.
"Loki" is all about variant versions of people from a "sacred timeline" — fitting given that Mr. Gryphon turns out to be one of several variant versions of Kang. So not only does the name "Qeng" have a direct comics correlation, but even the stories have a variant theme in common.
Alioth's Kang connection is deeper than you think
The second Kang connection is hiding in plain sight. Alioth, the giant smoke demon devouring everything in the Void has a comic book connection with Kang, too. Just like on "Loki," Alioth in the comics devours everything in their path and reigns over his own temporal space. During the New Empire storyline in the comics, Ravonna (in disguise as Terminatrix) saves Kang from Thor and brings Kang back to his empire only to discover it is under attack by none other than Alioth.
In order to defeat Alioth, Ravonna and Kang enlist the help of the Avengers. The event yields the death of the Crosstime Kang Corps, a group which defeated a number of robots Kang was using to rule across the multiverse. Is any of this ringing any bells? The Timekeepers that turned out to be fake were all, as it happens, robots. And, interestingly enough, after fighting Alioth in that "New Empire" comic story, Kang goes up against the Timekeepers.
Whether or not these Easter eggs translate into Kang being the "Loki" series villain is unclear. We'll find out one way or another when the final episode of "Loki" streams on Disney+ on July 14.