The concept of the variant is set to define the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four for a number of reasons, now that we know each alternate reality possesses a version of a well-known character that doesn’t necessarily have to look, sound, or even act like the original, yielding limitless storytelling opportunities.
Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino, Jack Veal, Richard E. Grant, DeObia Oparei and a CGI alligator all played memorable Lokis in the recently-concluded Disney Plus series, and there’s even been talk that the 2014 version of Gamora from Avengers: Endgame could find herself being hunted down by the Time Variance Authority after crossing over into a timeline that wasn’t hers.
Jonathan Majors debuted as He Who Remains in Loki, but we’re fully expecting to meet Kang the Conqueror for the first time when Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania arrives in 2023. That’s just two of an infinite number of variants, and we’re now hearing from our sources—the same ones who told us Ben Affleck was returning as Batman in The Flash long before it was confirmed—that at least one of them is going to be female.
Looking at the decidedly mixed response to Hiddleston and Di Martino’s variants falling for each other, it would be safe to assume that Majors isn’t going to end up playing tonsil tennis with himself. However, a female Kang showing up in a feature film or streaming exclusive would presumably be able to fly much more under the radar, given that the MCU’s heroes will be on the lookout for a big scary dude with a penchant for green and purple, so narratively and mythologically it makes a great amount of sense.
