Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has officially begun, thanks to the release of Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. In the movie fans were treated to the next big bad of the shared universe in the form of Jonathan Majors’ villainous Kang. He brought a layered, emotional performance to the blockbuster, while also looking ripped in the process. It turns out Majors had a whole routine for staying in shape during Ant-Man 3 filming, and it involved a small lady and push-ups. Yes, you read that right.
Jonathan Majors has gotten super jacked recently, seemingly thanks to his roles in blockbuster sequels Ant-Man 3 and Creed III. He’s no doubt done countless hours at the gym, while also keeping in shape in the midst of filming. The 33 year-old actor recently spoke to Extra TV about the unconventional way he stayed fit on set. While being interviewed by a shorter journalist he said:
I remember doing, I had the tiniest, most beautiful makeup artist, probably about the size of you. And she would get on my back between takes and I would do push-ups. And then when she’d get off, I would jump rope.
Well, that’s one way to make sure you get those reps in. Jonathan Majors used the weight of a crew member while doing push ups, which is something I’d kill to see a video of. It’s too bad that security is so notoriously tight on Marvel sets. Cue the Kang-related FOMO.
Jonathan Majors’ comments to Extra TV help offer a peek behind the curtain on what it’s like working on a major movie set like Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Sets are known for their notoriously long hours, which can make actually staying in shape hard for the actors. That’s why Majors found his own solution, which happened to involve his makeup artist’s body weight and a jump rope. In that same interview with Extra TV, the Lovecraft Country star described the shape he had to get in for Kang, calling it:
I would say ancient, futuristic, broad-shouldered, tear ‘em up in any multiverse shape.
He’s not wrong. Kang was shown being brutally powerful throughout Ant-Man 3’s 124-minute runtime. That includes when he was using his powers, and when fighting hand to hand with Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang. Jonathan Majors’ performance was something that audiences really responded to, and it should be fascinating to see what comes next for him in the MCU. After all, he’s expected to be the next Thanos-level threat to the shared universe, and is the titular character of Avengers: Kang Dynasty.
Given how early it is in Phase Five, the plans being made by Kevin Feige and company are largely being kept close to the chest. Still, it’s expected that Jonathan Majors will appear in multiple future projects, some of which were hinted at during the post-credits scene. And as such, Majors will likely keep his swole stature for the time being… even if that means asking a crew member or two to sit on him.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is still in theaters now, although the box office numbers are dropping. The next installment in the MCU is Guardians 3 on May 5th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
