Loki Season 2 Isn’t Ke Huy Quan’s First Marvel Production

Ke Huy Quan’s OB is taking the world by storm in Loki Season 2. In the first episode, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Mobius (Owen Wilson) are trying to figure out what happened after the events of the first season. But they run into trouble because the God of Mischief is “timeslipping,” meaning he’s jumping between the TVA’s past, present and future. So, Mobius takes Loki deep within the TVA’s headquarters. There, they meet OB, a man who controls the technology, logistics and everything else that keeps the TVA running, brilliantly played by Quan.

Starting with his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, Quan kickstarted a comeback story that no one could have predicted. In the 1980s, he was a thriving child actor, appearing in the likes of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, but soon after, his acting career fell on hard times. However, he wasn’t competently lost. That’s because, while many people would assume Loki is Quan’s first Marvel production, that’s not the case. His first job with Marvel was behind the camera as a fight choreographer.

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Ke Huy Quan’s Work on 2000’s X-Men

After attending college at USC, Quan formed a friendship with Corey Yuen, a director and choreographer. He’s famously worked with superstars like Jackie Chan, Jet Li and many more. One of his big projects was working on X-Men as an action director. It was a hefty thing to handle solo, so Yuen asked Quan for assistance on set as a translator and an assistant fight choreographer. He taught him the procedures, allowing him to help choreograph the major fight sequence between Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn).

This wouldn’t be the last time Quan worked behind the scenes. He was also a stunt coordinator on two other projects. But his most notable credit came from his job as first assistant director for the underrated science fiction film 2046. X-Men truly opened doors for Quan in the entertainment world. Frequently, people who work behind the camera aren’t credited enough, and despite having already been in the spotlight, Quan didn’t let that affect his decision to step into positions with less glory attached to them.

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X-Men’s Impact on Superhero Films

2000’s X-Men is often overlooked when it comes to impactful superhero films. Marvel fans always credit Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy for paving the way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which may be accurate, but X-Men had its own part to play. First, it predated the Spider-Man series. It also had more sequels and spinoffs. But with the combination of action, adventure and mature themes throughout the series, it’s clear that X-Men deserved more respect.

With a diverse group of superheroes with different powers and backgrounds, the X-Men franchise was a blueprint for future superhero films. But what made X-Men especially special was the unique fight scenes. Using a combination of solid special effects and choreography, X-Men was able to set the stage for what modern superhero action would look like. In fact, the Wolverine and Mystique fight, which Quan worked on, was a great moment that often goes overlooked, taking characters that were finally making the jump to live-action and having them go at it just like they would in the comics.

Even though X-Men was just the beginning of modern superhero films, Quan’s time on the set likely prepared him to do more prominent roles in the years to come, such as Everything Everywhere All at Once and Loki. But this time around, Quan will be in front of the camera, possibly performing stunts of his own.

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Ke Huy Quan Is Ready for the MCU

For any new actor that joins the MCU, it’s likely an overwhelming experience. But Quan was a massive fan and had dreamed of joining the series. And his dreams came true when he got a call from the President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige. “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. […] 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,” Quan said. ” “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.”

When Quan won his Oscar in 2023, he was greeted with happiness and praise. His recognition was long overdue. When young actors get the spotlight, there’s always the chance that it can go away just like that. That could be because the right jobs aren’t lining up for them, or they’re stuck as a child actor forever. But then there are those who are able to jump back in, like Quan. And because of his fascinating past, which included a stint in the Marvel Universe, Quan’s career will only continue to flourish.

New episodes of Loki air on Thursdays on Disney+.