Ke Huy Quan Is Way More Excited Than You That He’s Joining the MCU

You might have done a little happy dance upon learning that Ke Huy Quan — who first left his mark on Hollywood in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as Short Round and most recently won an Academy Award for his role in Everything, Everywhere All At Once — was joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Well, when Quan found out an invitation for him to join the MCU was being extended he had to pull over to the side of the road because he was getting teary-eyed and couldn’t see. 

“I’ve been a fan of the Marvel Universe for a long, long time, and I always fantasized about joining the MCU family but that was only a fantasy that I didn’t think it would ever come true, it was a distant dream of mine.” Quan explained. “I watched Loki season 1 on Disney Plus and I thought it was one of the most creative and just best-looking cinematography, costume, production design; everything was just top notch. It was one of the most creative shows that I’ve ever seen in a long, long time.”

After his role in the Oscar-winning Everything, Everywhere All At Once caught the attention of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, he reached out to Quan with an offer. 

“One day my agent told me, ‘Kevin Feige is going to give you a call from Marvel Studios’, and he told me between a certain time, between 5 and 7, and I was so nervous but at the same time I was also very, very excited. I remember I was in a meeting at that time, and I told the person I was having the meeting with, ‘I’m so sorry, but at 4:50 I’m going to have to leave,’ but I didn’t tell them why, so I set my alarm clock at 4:50. And when it rang, I got out of there, expecting this important call from Mr. Kevin Feige. I was just driving home and all of a sudden, my phone rang, and I picked it up, and on the other end I heard this voice, hello, hi, I’m Kevin Feige, hello Ke.”

On the phone, Feige praised Quan’s performance, which tugged on his heartstrings so much he couldn’t contain his emotions. 

“I started getting teary eyed and I was driving, and I couldn’t see. And I had to pull off to the side of the road and we’re talking, and then he said, would you like to join the MCU family? I was ecstatic, I was so happy and to get that call from him meant the world to me.”

Quan now joins the MCU in the second season of Marvel Studios’ Loki playing Ouroboros — or O.B. for short. He works, all alone, in the very bottom basement of the Time Variance Authority, but “he’s super happy with his job, he doesn’t sleep, and he works 24/7.” 

It might be intimidating joining the ranks alongside long-time Marvel star Tom Hiddleston and his on-screen best friend, Owen Wilson’s Mobius. But Quan fit right in. 

“He's a dream, I can't imagine anyone else playing this role,” Executive Producer Kevin Wright explains. “What you see on camera is what we get behind the camera. He slotted right into this team, which is already a fantastic ensemble. He's just a beautiful, inspiring person to work with.”

Wright notes that what Hiddleston and Wilson created with Loki and Mobius is “beloved,” and adding a third person might make for a third-wheel situation. But not with Quan. Quan, “came in with his own kind of unique aspect to that trio. It was just honestly being true to himself, being true to the character. He just adds this extra ingredient that wasn't there before. There's almost this whimsy. He just felt like a natural part of the team.”

It might have been a seamless fit, but that doesn’t mean Quan didn’t come prepared with a ton of questions about his character and the world of the TVA. 

“In the beginning I was quite nervous because it’s such a well-written character and I wanted to do it justice,” he continues. “I had a lot of creative meetings with our producers and with our directors. I would sit down, and I would ask them all these kinds of questions because I wanted to give justice to this wonderfully created character by our writer and producer.”

Looking back, Quan calls the whole process memorable, adding, “Every day I walk on set in a great mood and that’s how I finish the day as well. Every single person — the cast and the crew, has made this journey so memorable.”

And as for where he fits into the larger MCU? Quan’s already passed the first test of not talking about spoilers — not even asking about them. 

“I’m only familiar with what Loki Season 2 is about but I don’t want to know too much,” He jokes. “I want to be like a fan and discover it just the way everybody else does.”

Editor’s note: The following interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike began on July 14, 2023.

For all time, always! Loki Season 2 arrives on the timeline at 6:00 PM PT on Thursday, October 5 exclusively on Disney+.  All subsequent episodes will also be available starting Thursdays at 6:00 PM PT.