Ke Huy Quan Got Extremely Emotional When He Was Invited To Join The MCU
When something good happens to a good person, it's always worth celebrating — especially in a business as cutthroat as the film and TV industry. But when good things keep happening in rapid succession to someone who so clearly deserves it? Boy, do we need to cherish it like it may never happen again. When Ke Huy Quan was first cast in "Everything Everywhere All At Once," his joyful, heartfelt, and ultimately Oscar-winning performance marked the end of his decades-long hiatus from acting. It would've been all too easy for Hollywood to go right back to ignoring the beloved actor who first made his mark with "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "The Goonies." Thankfully, this is one comeback story that hasn't wrapped up just yet.
Quan quickly followed up his Best Supporting Actor win with roles in "American Born Chinese" and, most thrillingly of all, a supporting turn in season 2 of "Loki." Finally, it seemed like the industry was making up for its past sins of casting aside an obvious talent who, by all rights, should've enjoyed a much more successful and prolific career. If that's enough to bring a tear to your eye, well, that's nothing compared to the swirl of emotions Quan himself experienced when he first got the call to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In an interview with Variety, the actor recalled how this casting first went down:
"My agent said, 'You're gonna get a call from Kevin Feige tomorrow.' Now you have to understand, when I became an actor again, joining the MCU was at the top of my wishlist. I was so excited and I said, 'Could this be it?' I was driving. I picked up the phone. And on the other end I hear, 'Hi Ke. This is Kevin Feige.'"
Chills!
A full-circle moment
Of course, even getting advanced notice from his agent couldn't fully prepare Ke Huy Quan for how he'd feel when the moment came. With Feige on the line and asking him to "join the MCU family," it's safe to say the actor felt a bit overwhelmed. He went on to say:
"I start tearing up, and I couldn't see the road anymore. I said, 'Kevin, can you give me two seconds?' I pulled the car over, put it in park and I said, 'Please continue.' He says, 'We have this great character for you, Ouroboros. I really love him, and I think you will be perfect to play him.' He told me about Loki. He told me about the MCU. He spoke [with] so much passion and enthusiasm in his voice. It brought me back to the day when I met him for the very first time on the 'X-Men' set when he was just an associate producer, and I was an assistant action choreographer."
Honestly, even the biggest superhero cynic can't deny just how beautiful and meaningful this must've been for Quan. Amazingly enough, the actor actually did cross paths with Feige back when they were both working on the set of the original "X-Men" movie back in 2000. It's enough to make one think that this was almost meant to be. Quan apparently agrees: "And little did I know only 23 years later, I get to work with him. I get to play a wonderful character."
Marvel as a franchise might be on somewhat shaky ground at the moment, but at least it led to moments like this. "Loki" season 2 (and especially the finale) was a breath of fresh air for the MCU. Quan's role as the lovable Ouroboros is a big reason why.