After the immense success of Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe moved full steam ahead in the Multiverse Saga with the promise that the villain Kang the Conqueror would become the new Thanos for the next era of the MCU. Years of meticulous world-building led to the end of the Infinity Saga, and the excitement for the future was as great as it could have been. With the multiverse, anything was possible, and positioning Kang as the next big bad was an inspired choice.
Unfortunately, not everything worked out as Marvel Studios had hoped. A number of problems have arisen around Kang, both in MCU projects and things outside of the studio’s control. This led to the MCU seemingly abandoning Kang and reworking the universe’s Phase 5 plans and beyond to head in a new direction. Everything that was promised about the character has disappeared and will eventually be nothing more than a missed opportunity for the MCU. What went wrong?
Victor Von Doom replaced Kang in his own film
Avengers: Kang Dynasty is now Avengers: Judgment Day
The latest dagger in the hopes that Kang will continue to have a significant role in the MCU is when Robert Downey Jr. was announced as Doctor Doom for the next two Avengers films. was the heart of the MCU for a decade, starting the entire franchise with Iron Man before ending Tony Stark’s journey in Avengers: Endgame. Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom is one of the most surprising castings in superhero movie historyand a definitive statement from Marvel Studios about where its priorities lie.
Avengers: Kang Dynasty changed to Avengers: Judgment Daycompletely removing Kang from the equation and eliminating his importance in the grand scheme of the Multiverse Saga.
Kang was being prepared for his inevitable appearance in Avengers: Kang Dynasty before Avengers: Secret Wars was set to end the Multiverse Saga. Plans took a difficult turn with Downey Jr.’s casting. Avengers: Kang Dynasty changed to Avengers: Judgment Daycompletely removing Kang from the equation and eliminating his importance in the grand scheme of the Multiverse Saga. Even if Kang returns at some point, Doctor Doom’s arrival completely overshadows him.
How Kang Was Set Up as the MCU’s Thanos Replacement
He was first teased in Loki Season 1
One of the strongest aspects of the MCU’s Infinity Saga was how it built up the threat of Thanos over many years. When he finally arrived as the main villain in Avengers: Infinity Warfans were excited to finally see him face off against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Not only did Thanos live up to the hype, He surpassed all expectations, becoming one of the best movie villains of all time. Kang was prepared to do the same thing.
Related
Throughout the Multiverse Saga and in preparation for Avengers: Kang Dynastythe MCU had plans to feature Kang in multiple projects beforehand. Like Thanos, Kang was seemingly inevitable. Instead of the sheer power and strength that Thanos possessed, Kang’s biggest advantage was his character’s multiversal nature. There were basically an infinite number of Kangs who could take on the Avengers and that prospect was exciting. Unfortunately, everything came crashing down when the show’s star’s actions were brought to light.
Jonathan Majors Accusations and Consequences Explained
Marvel Studios cuts all ties with the actor
Jonathan Majors quickly arrived on the scene, being cast as Kang, the Conqueror of the Multiverse Saga and having the opportunity to leave his mark on the history of the MCU. It was a meteoric rise to the top for him, but his fall was just as quick. On March 25, 2023, Jonathan Majors was arrested on charges of assault against his girlfriend. In December 2023, he was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of harassment and assault. Following the verdict, Marvel Studios cut ties with Majors and his role as Kang was ended.
Before he was arrested, Majors was supposed to be the next big thing in Hollywood. Your role in Creed III earned him critical praise, while Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania it was Kang’s first major appearance in the MCU. All the goodwill and enthusiasm surrounding him as an actor and his fall from grace was one of the steepest falls in recent memory. With Major’s career in limbo, his return as Kang will apparently never happen.
Kang’s MCU appearances didn’t excite him
Audiences didn’t connect with Kang like they did with Thanos
The biggest problem with Marvel positioning Kang as the next Thanos is that his appearances in the MCU didn’t seem to create the necessary hype for him to become that enormous threat he would have to be. Avengers: Kang Dynasty. He first appeared at the end of Loki Season 1, as “He Who Remains”, a variant of Kang. It was a good start for the character, creating enough intrigue to get the ball rolling for audiences to embrace their new Thanos. Despite the strong enough start, it was Kang’s next appearance that didn’t do him any favors.
In a surprising move by Marvel Studios, Kang’s entry as the new big bad has arrived Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It seemed like an attempt to turn Ant-Man into one of the biggest characters in the universe, but instead it just diminished the threat of Kang’s future appearances. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania the ending sees Kang lose to Ant-Man, dying in the process. The end credits teased the large number of Kang variants ready to fight, but the damage was done. If this Kang could lose to one of the weaker Avengers, what is there to fear from any of his variants that would go up against Thor or the Hulk?
Kang It will always be a case of “what could have been” for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has been positioned as the next big villain in the highest-grossing film franchise of all time, following in the immense footsteps of Thanos’ presence in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. There was a post-Infinity Saga period in which the possibilities for the character were endless. Unfortunately, a mix of poor narrative choices and a nightmarish cast will be the only thing the character will be remembered for.