It was reported that William Jackson Harper will be joining the MCU in the upcoming film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While his role has not yet been revealed, it was described by sources that it was “incredibly secretive” and neither Harper nor Marvel Studios have yet commented on the news.
As fans have some sort of idea of what Phases Five and Six could be thanks to subtle hints and small references to the comics, Marvel has changed some of the origin stories for their newest heroes such as She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel. And while the trailer doesn’t give any clues on who Harper will play in the film, here are some possible characters that he could play in the MCU as part of his Marvel debut.
5. Iron Lad or any Kang the Conqueror variants
Iron Lad is a young variant of Kang the Conqueror and is part of the Young Avengers. While Harper may look older, other potential members of the MCU’s Young Avengers such as Kate Bishop and Cassie Lang look like they’re in their early 20s. Also, Kang is a wise man as we saw in Loki and Harper could emulate his wisdom thanks to his role in The Good Place. But if he’s too old to play Iron Lad, there are opportunities to play the different variants of Kang in the film.
4. The Watcher
Harper could be cast in the live-action version of The Watcher that we saw in What if…? Harper has the potential to play the guy who watches all of the multiverses. Not to mention, the film will be set in the Quantum Realm, a place where the multiverse is accessible. Maybe Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be the next instance we see a familiar face from the animated Marvel series.
3. Miles Morales
Hear me out. In the Ant-Man 3 trailer, Scott Lang was mistaken for Spider-Man, with a café owner saying, “Thank you Spider-Man” to him. Also, Miles Morales was referenced in Spider-Man: No Way Home, meaning he could be somewhat canon in the MCU. The last time a role was “secretive” in the MCU was during No Way Home when Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield were asked to reprise their roles. What if this is the same situation as the Spider-Man movie? What if Harper is joining the MCU as the friendly-neighborhood Spider-Man?
2. M.O.D.O.K.
There have been multiple rumors about M.O.D.O.K’s appearance in the upcoming Marvel movie. And currently, no one has been cast for the role based on the film’s IMDB page. If Harper’s role is described as “secretive,” it is highly possible that he could play the rumored Marvel character in the film. After all, Marvel likes to go all out when it comes to their villain roles.
1. Doctor Doom
Kevin Feige confirmed that the upcoming MCU adaptation of the Fantastic Four would not have an origin story plot as everyone knows about the team’s history. So perhaps another way to subtly introduce the superhero team is to have one of the main villains appear in the film. The Fantastic Four got their powers due to cosmic radiation; in the 2015 reboot, it was due to inter-dimension traveling. Perhaps Doctor Doom landed in the Quantum Realm, and that’s how he got his powers. We don’t even have to see the other members of the Fantastic Four team, just the main baddie himself. Especially if he’s going to be one of the main enemies in Secret Wars.
While Marvel likes to keep a low profile when it comes to its secrets, there are clues scattered both in the MCU and past interviews that could hint towards future characters. Knowing Harper’s past and notable work, there is potential for him to play lead characters in the Marvel universe.