One of the most prominent MCU stars from Ant-Man 3 has revealed why he will not watch his first big-screen appearance with Marvel Studios.
Ant-Man 3 has been released as the MCU’s first Phase 5 film, featuring Kang the Conqueror, the ultimate bad guy of the entire Multiverse Saga.
After his initial debut in 2021’s Loki, Jonathan Majors returns to play the second Variant of this role, which will only be one of countless Variants that will take the spotlight throughout Phase 5 and Phase 6.
Majors hasn’t been shy about discussing his role in the MCU as he prepares for one of the most important roles in comic-book movie history, though he has admitted to an unusual filmmaking process.
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Jonathan Majors Isn’t Seeing Ant-Man 3
In an interview with Black Girl Nerds, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star Jonathan Majors revealed that he doesn’t watch his own films, including his MCU debut.
When asked if he watches his work for self-criticism, he explained how he puts everything he has into each day of shooting and how he has “a practice of not watching the film,” which he shared with Ant-Man 3 director Peyton Reed:
“I force myself to do it. 100%. You can’t do 110, it’s not possible. 100%. I throw myself emotionally, socially, and intellectually into it, but I leave it all on the day. I have a habit of not watching the film, so… that habit begins with not watching the playback. I don’t watch it… It has no bearing on my process. And I’ve told you… ‘Listen, I don’t watch them,’ I told Peyton Reed a couple of days into the shoot. I don’t watch playback and I’m not going to see the movie.'”
Majors simply makes every effort to provide his best work so that he’s “not relying on anybody to clean [him] up in the edit,” doing his best not to have to return for any additional recording or shooting at a later date:
“Who knows, things can and will change. I may. This entire philosophy is subject to change, so all I have is what happens on the day… I’m not counting on anyone to fix me in the edit. I’m hoping I won’t have to use ADR as well. I mean, [I] will do, but this is it for me. And there’s a sense of desperation when I’m working and so focused on the moment that I don’t want to remember or criticize it. Maybe I’ll come across a project that requires that but that’s all I have, so I try to stay as focused as possible.”
Majors stated that he did the same thing for his work on Loki, avoiding watching the episode once it aired on Disney+.
Majors also stated in an interview with MTV’s Josh Horowitz that he has not seen the film and will not see it after its release:
Horowitz: “You just had a massive world premiere for this film a few days ago. Jonathan, did you watch it? Have you seen the film?”
Majors: “I haven’t seen the film. I really enjoyed the film.”
“I’m so disappointed in you,” Horowitz says.
Majors: “I’m truly sorry, papa. (laughs)”
Majors explained that part of it is that he doesn’t want to know which takes of specific shots the team decided to use in the film, as this would limit his options for what he does with the role as a whole:
Horowitz: “Here is my case. Can I make my case? Because, as you are well aware, the artists who contribute so much are usually after the fact. I mean, you made one film, and they made another. And it’s the culmination of everything. Don’t you want to see what happened, what it became?”
Majors: “It’s especially important for me in the Kang matrix because we can’t help but be influenced by it, right? Imagine I’ve finished the film, but then I watch it and think, ‘Oh, you chose that take?’ That then constrains me. ‘Oh, apparently,’ I think subconsciously, ‘that’s what I’m supposed to do.'”
“You’ve made the decision for me, so I’m going down that path-” Horowitz
“Yeah,” Majors says.
“-And as opposed to still embracing your own instincts,” Horowitz says.
Majors: “As a good collaborator, I’m going to say, ‘OK, that’s what I’ll do now,’ which could potentially limit what I could do.”
The Majors’ Process Aids in the Delivery of Excellent Ant-Man 3 Results
Jonathan Majors is far from the first actor to not watch his own work, following in the footsteps of fellow MCU star Andrew Garfield and other big names like Tom Hanks and Joaquin Phoenix.
Majors’ reasoning is to ensure that he can give the best performance possible without any additional influence or limitations on what he can do, which is especially important in this role.
Majors has already delivered two different variants of Kang the Conqueror, with many more confirmed for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.
And, while his approach to watching his own material may change in the coming years, given how much work remains to be done in the MCU, he’ll need to be on his game at all times for so many different takes on this villain.
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