Who's playing Kang, Namor and more? Meet 5 new faces who loom large in Marvel's future
Marvel Studios gave fans at Comic-Con a glimpse at the road ahead for its popular superhero galaxy, announcing film and TV projects well into 2025. But who’s the next Hulk? The next Iron Man? The next Thanos?
In the past year, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been busy introducing a new generation of heroes, including Simu Liu's Shang-Chi from his self-titled movie; Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop in “Hawkeye”; and Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan in “Ms. Marvel.” That trend will continue with fresh stars coming to the big screen and Disney+ series, leading up to not one, but two “Avengers” movies. (And one of those is called “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,” so this Kang guy is definitely going to be a major player.)
Here are five actors to keep an eye on as we get deeper into Marvel’s “Multiverse Saga.”
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Alaqua Cox (‘Echo’)
Cox debuted in “Hawkeye” as Maya Lopez, a deaf gang leader in New York out for vengeance against Avengers archer Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner). She gets her own Disney+ series with “Echo” (streaming summer 2023), which delves into Maya’s origin story and Native American roots. Since the notorious Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) is her former boss, one can expect her to have a role in the “Daredevil: Born Again” series in spring 2024, which brings back Charlie Cox as the blind guardian of Hell’s Kitchen.
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Tenoch Huerta (‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’)
Namor the Sub-Mariner first appeared on comic book pages in 1939, and Marvel movie fans have been clamoring for his live-action debut. Armed with a spectacular look, the ruler of the underworld kingdom Atlantis finally hits cinemas in the “Black Panther” sequel (in theaters Nov. 11), played by Mexican actor Huerta (“The Forever Purge”). Before he possibly joins the new Avengers crew, Namor's first fight is against returning heroes as the armies of Atlantis and Wakanda are at odds in “Forever.”
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Jonathan Majors (‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’)
After first appearing as the cryptic and mysterious He Who Remains in the “Loki” Season 1 finale, Majors steps into the spotlight as master of time Kang the Conqueror in the third “Ant-Man” movie (Feb. 17), where Paul Rudd’s super-shrinking hero further explores the Quantum Realm. While we don’t yet know the nefarious plans of Kang – a longtime Avengers villain from the comics – Majors (who starred in Netflix’s “The Harder They Fall” and HBO’s “Lovecraft Country”) looks poised to be the next Thanos-level threat through at least the Marvel film that bears his character’s name.
Tatiana Maslany (‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’)
An Emmy winner for “Orphan Black,” Maslany takes on the role of embattled legal eagle Jen Walters – and her 6-foot-7 muscular green alter ego – in Marvel’s first law comedy (premiering Aug. 17 on Disney+). Jen heads up her firm’s division for superhuman cases, becomes an accidental celebrity and thanks to her cousin Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) becomes a bit of a hero herself. Because she’ll likely need her mighty fists more than torts knowledge as the MCU speeds toward all-out “Avengers” mayhem.
Dominique Thorne (‘Ironheart’)
In “Wakanda Forever,” the “Judas and the Black Messiah” actress dives into the MCU as Riri Williams, a fellow genius engineer who works alongside Shuri (Letitia Wright). That appearance sets up Riri, who in comics creates the most innovative armor since Tony Stark’s Iron Man suit, to headline her own Disney+ “Ironheart” series (streaming fall 2023) and become one of the more formidable heroes in the MCU’s new youth movement.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marvel expansion: Who plays Kang, Namor, She-Hulk in next 'Avengers'?
