Summary
The Multiverse Saga fails to break away from the MCU's recurring reliance on lackluster humanoid villains, as evidenced by the unoriginal character design of Lizard Kang. This missed chance could have presented a platform for the exploration of more inventive and captivating villainous designs.
The Council of Kangs scene in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania exposes the limited diversity among the Kang variants, highlighting a broader problem with the way villains are designed in the MCU.
Kang's comic book versions similarly exhibit variations in humanoid form, providing a valid reason for the Multiverse Saga to maintain the MCU's approach to Kang the Conqueror's character design.
New concept art for Kang the Conqueror has been revealed, indicating that the Multiverse Saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will repeat a flaw commonly seen in its villains. Jonathan Majors initially portrayed a Kang variant called He Who Remains in Disney+'s Loki series. Recently, Majors made his official debut as Kang the Conqueror in the film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, playing multiple versions of the character. Concept artist Colin Shulver has now shared the design for Lizard Kang, which appeared in a post-credits scene of the movie, on ArtStation.
In the concept art, we see a Kang variant with a humanoid figure, but with facial features altered to resemble a lizard-like being covered in scales. This transformation can be observed in the Council of Kangs scene towards the conclusion of the movie.
Lizard Kang Shows The Multiverse Is Set To Repeat A Villain Design Issue
The Multiverse Saga in the MCU is about to repeat one of the worst flaws in villain design by lacking imagination. The character known as "Lizard Kang" doesn't quite live up to its name, as it retains a humanoid figure even though it is supposed to be a different version of the Marvel villain.
In the Council of Kangs scene, Lizard Kang stands out as one of the few variants that actually differs noticeably from Majors' likeness, although the difference is still minimal. This issue with Kang's design is just part of a larger problem in the MCU, where most Marvel villains are either too human-like or mindless creatures. This is a missed opportunity, considering how exciting it is when unexpected reveals, like Ego being an actual planet, occur. The MCU could make better use of these kinds of surprises.
Kang's Comic Counterparts Justify The Multiverse Continuing The Villain Trend
The comic book counterparts of Kang provide an explanation for Marvel's decision to maintain the trend of humanoid villain designs in the Multiverse Saga's main antagonist. Kang's various iterations in the comics are predominantly humanoid, with the exception of a robotic version. Hence, it is logical for the MCU to adopt a similar approach in designing the variants of Kang the Conqueror.
