Summary
Marvel Studios' replacement plans for Jonathan Majors' Kang reportedly include two significant ideas. However, it could be too late for them to course correct beforeAvengers:Secrets Wars.
Lokiseason 1 introduced fans to Jonathan Majors as He Who Remains, a Kang variant. Fans were excited to see him play the next major villain in the MCU after his debut performance. A couple of months afterAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniawas released, Majors was arrested on charges of domestic violence.More victims came forward after Majors' arrestand have been working with the District Attorney in the Majors case. This has put his future in the MCU up in the air.
Varietyreported that Kevin Feige and other Marvel Studios executives discussed the Majors situation at an “angst-ridden” retreat in Palm Springs in September. AlthoughMarvel Studios did not initially drop Majorsfrom their MCU plans as other companies did, the possibility that he loses the case may have forced them to change their plans. The executives at the retreat considered replacing Kang with another big bad from the comics, such as Doctor Doom. Executives also considered recasting Majors, as they have done with Edward Norton’s Hulk and Terrance Howard’s Rhodey.
Marvel reportedly considered replacing Majors' Kang afterAnt-Man 3received negative reviews that shocked Marvelexecutives. However, the writers' strike started shortly after Majors' arrest, meaning Marvel Studios couldn’t rewrite their future projects. Reportedly, theLoki2 season 2 finale sets up Majors' Kang as the titular villain of the fifthAvengersmovie. One top deal maker who has seen theLokifinale said, “Marvel is truly f***ed with the whole Kang angle… But I don’t see a path to how they move forward with him.”
During the retreat, Marvel Studios executives discussed many other problems plaguing MCU projects, but how to handle the situation with Majors was the most pressing issue. It does not seem like a final decision was reached, but recently, more details about the case have been revealed,making Majors' future as Kang even more chaotic.
Marvel Studios probably doesn’t have enough time to change which comic book villain will be in future projects, as Kang has already been set up as the new threat. It seems more and more likely that they will recast him with another actor, but with the ongoing actors’ strike, they won’t be able to do that for a while.
Avengers: Secret Warsis scheduled to be released in theaters on June 12, 2025.
More:Loki: What Are The Intersecting Branch Points In The TVA Timeline?
