1 Inevitable MCU Sequel Is The Perfect Answer To Marvel Replacing Kang In Avengers 5

The future of Kang the Conqueror in the MCU is still relatively unclear, but there is one inevitable MCU sequel that would be the perfect replacement for the presumed arch-villain of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. The legal troubles surrounding Kang actor Jonathan Majors have culminated in the actor’s conviction. This means that Majors’ MCU future is officially over, which throws the fate of the character he played into doubt. Thankfully for Marvel, with the presence of variants in the multiverse that can take on infinite forms, this does not prevent the studio from recasting Kang and moving ahead with the original plan.

Recent reports have even suggested that Marvel intends to move ahead with business as normal, with Kang front-and-center in the Multiverse Saga. This could be messy for the studio, however, as controversy stoked by Majors’ departure coincided with a lukewarm reaction to the villain’s cinematic debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantummania. With this in mind, there is an opportunity for Marvel to capitalize on the wider understanding that Kang is not what’s best for the MCU and instead pivot to the events of Avengers: Secret Wars earlier than planned with the help of one movie in particular.

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Doctor Strange 3 Can Readjust The MCU’s Avengers 5 Set-Up

As yet, Doctor Strange is the only movie to delve into the multiversal concept of incursions. In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it was established that incursions are brought about when the barriers between two realities become worn down as individuals from either decide to hop between them and blur the lines. This can lead to the cataclysmic destruction of one or both of the universes, which is a level of threat that not even Thanos could emulate, as he succeeded in wiping out half of just one Universe. With that in mind, incursions have already been established as a far greater threat than Kang as an individual.

Incursions are an integral part of Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars plot, which mostly takes place in a post-incursion Battleworld established by Doctor Doom. Given that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (and, to a degree, Spider-Man: No Way Home) established Strange as the character to focus on this particular cataclysmic event, it stands to reason that he should be the MCU hero to focus on the event in his next solo outing. With Incursions generally being a far greater threat to the MCU than Kang, this should occur before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Doctor Strange 3 Can Tie Multiple MCU Threads Together

Shifting focus to incursions earlier than Avengers: The Kang Dynasty would help to tighten the narrative for the MCU, which has recently struggled under the weight of multiple new characters and plot threads and exacerbated superhero fatigue. The events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which ended in Clea informing Strange that his actions had even caused another incursion, seem to be among the most prescient of issues currently facing the MCU. Monica Rambeau, meanwhile, has stumbled upon the X-Men of another universe, with her presence in another reality potentially setting up yet another incursion event.

Then there is the fact that Loki is now overseeing the events of the Multiverse as objectively as possible, given that his whole reason for taking his place as the God of Stories was to facilitate free will. This places him quite literally at the center of what could easily become the incursion that brings about Avengers: Secret Wars, as a perversely benevolent facilitator of the catastrophic events. The heroes bringing about incursions of their own accord practically removes the need for Kang and his Multiversal war. Plus, Loki already defeated Kang once, and he isn’t the only one.

Loki’s Ending Can Deal With The Kang Dilemma

Between Loki, Ant-Man, and the Wasp, Kang has been shown to be distinctly beatable (even by the MCU’s weakest heroes) and not quite the Thanos-level threat that he probably should be at this point. With the help of his TVA friends, Loki was able to defeat arguably the most powerful of all Kang variants so far, He Who Remains, given that he was the variant to claim victory in the Multiversal War before assuming godlike control over the Sacred Timeline. Following his defeat, the TVA was seen to be keeping a close eye on Kang variants, which they weren’t before the last Multiversal War.

This means that Kang could quite easily fade into the background as the TVA quashes the Multiversal War before it begins. It isn’t the tidiest of conclusions to his arc, but bringing in a new Kang actor and attempting to reignite the magic started by Majors in or before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty could be messier. Instead, the MCU should pour everything into a two-part Avengers: Secret Wars finale, with the next several movies dealing with the threat that was always greater than Kang to begin with: the incursions that he invariably brings about.