Summary
Following the conclusion ofThe Infinity Saga,Marvel Studiosset its sights on the Multiverse Saga, which was set to feature Kang as the big bad going forward. Following his introduction inLoki, the plan was for Kang to be the big bad going forward. He appeared inAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but further appearances involving the character were halted due to actor Jonathan Majors' personal issues outside the films. Instead,Marvel Studioswas forced to shift its initial plans and bring in Victor von Doom as the next big bad, with Robert Downey Jr. set to portray the iconic villain.
Given the sudden switch, the groundwork Marvel Studios has laid for Kang the Conqueror seems wasted, with the villain seemingly being sidelined. As of now, Marvel has yet to announce any further plans involving Kang, leaving fans wondering if the villain is done as far as the Marvel Cinematic Universe is concerned. However, Marvel Studios still has plenty of time to fix its Kang problem before Doom takes over withThe Avengers: Doomsdayin 2026.
Marvel Studios' Focus on Kang in the Multiverse Saga
Marvel Studios first introduced fans to Kang, akaHe Who Remains, during the Season 1 finale ofLoki. It was meant to be the first true tease for the villainous character, before he made his appearance inAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.The character’s appearance inQuantumaniawas meant to be the first of many which would kickstart Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Conqueror proved to be a menacing force for Scott Lang, and had known Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet van Dyne, who he met while inside the Quantum Realm.
Although appearing friendly at first, in order to earn the trust of Scott, Kang is later revealed to be desperate for an escape from theQuantum Realmafter becoming trapped there by the Council of Kangs due to his determination to destroy them and become the sole Kang/The Conqueror within the Multiverse. It was a strong introduction to the character, though many fans were frustrated by him being defeated byAnt-Man and the Wasp. The Council of Kangs was even teased at the end of the film, promising plenty of more chaos to come beyond theAnt-Manfranchise. Unfortunately, though, Kang’s journey was already off to a bumpy start withQuantumaniaas the film only managed to pull in $476 million worldwide after fans and critics alike seemed to think it wasa weak installmentin the belovedAnt-Mantrilogy, and a weak introduction to Kang.
When accusations against Majors eventually surfaced, Marvel and Disney were initially quiet, choosing to see how the trial played out before they decided how to approach moving forward. This, of course, wasn’t the first time the studio was forced to handle a tricky situation involving a talent’s actions outside their job. The studio famously fired James Gunn after offensive tweets were discovered in 2018. At that time, Bob Chapek, who was the CEO of Disney at the time, wasted no time cutting ties with Gunn, who was eventually later rehired.
Given the seriousness of the charges against Majors, though, Marvel Studios looked keen to follow them through, considering everything prior to making an official decision. Ultimately, the studio sought to do what it felt was right rather than worrying about what it meant for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A smart move, but one that surely brought upon plenty of confusion once everything was said and done.
Can Marvel Truly Fix its Kang Issue?
Opting to forgo the original plans for Kang is a strange move, as Majors had only made a few appearances as the character before being released from his contract. If the studio wanted to follow through with its plans regarding Kang, a recast would have been completely understandable.
As it stands, Marvel Studios has shown it hasno problem recasting roleswhen necessary. Don Cheadle famously took over the role of James Rhodes, aka War Machine, from Terrence Howard. While the role of Cassie in the Ant-Man films has been played by three different actresses, thus far, with Kathryn Newton currently playing the role of Cassie Lang in the films. Most recently, the studio sought to recast the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, withHarrison Ford taking over the rolefrom the late William Hurt. So, it’s clear recasting is not an issue for Marvel. There’s one thing that many have overlooked, though, and it goes beyond the role of Kang.The Multiverse Sagahas not been as popular asThe Infinity Saga.
Following delays from COVID-19 and Hollywood strikes, Marvel Studios is only now recovering from itsbox office woesthanks toDeadpool & Wolverine. Marvel Studiospresident Kevin Feige, and Disney’s Bob Iger, have both stated that Marvel will be seeking quality over quantity moving forward. This could ultimately be the reason why the studio decided not to recast the role after cutting ties with Majors. Especially as it has now brought back Joe & Anthony Russo,along with Downey Jr., to tackle the next twoAvengerstitles. With this in mind, it seems Marvel is ready to move beyond Kang, but perhaps it shouldn’t completely avoid Kang going forward. There’s no clear way for the studio to solve the Kang problem, but one can only hope that, in due time, the Conqueror gets the proper live-action treatment.
