10 Questions That The MCU Might Never Answer About Kang

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe cutting ties with Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors, many questions about this iteration of the character may never be answered by the franchise. After the culmination of the MCU’s groundbreaking Infinity Saga, the franchise’s narrative shifted to explore the Multiverse. At the heart of the movies and TV shows of the MCU from Phase 4 onward was Kang the Conqueror, revealed to be the main antagonist of the franchise’s Multiverse story arc.

The real-world legal troubles of Kang actor Jonathan Majors have led Disney to drop him from future projects, with indications that Kang’s role will subsequently be downplayed in future MCU releases. However, with the MCU’s movie timeline having previously been building toward Kang’s role as the next Avengers-level threat, it seems as though many plot points may be left unresolved should Kang be written out. Here are 10 questions that the MCU might never answer about Kang.

10

Did Kang The Exile Survive The Events Of Quantumania?

Ant-Man Might Not Have Killed Kang At All

The ending of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania saw Scott Lang narrowly defeat Kang after an epic showdown in the Quantum Realm. Despite the villain’s power and influence over the beings of his Quantum empire, Ant-Man and his fellow heroes were able to stop him from escaping by sabotaging the Quantum engine. The engine’s destruction also seemingly destroyed Kang, with Quantumania heavily implying that the villain was killed by his attempts to escape into the Multiverse.

However, considering Kang’s intended status as the major antagonist of the Multiverse Saga, it’s possible that he wasn’t truly killed, after all. In fact, the movie asserts that he was one of the most feared and dangerous variants of Kang, and that means he might have found a way to survive to act as the primary antagonist in The Kang Dynasty. With Majors dropped from the franchise, it’s now unlikely that the truth behind Kang’s fate will be revealed.

9

How Would Kang Have Returned In Avengers: The Kang Dynasty?

Exactly How Kang Would Threaten The Multiverse Will Likely Never Be Explained

Intended as he was to serve as the primary antagonist of the Multiverse Saga, Jonathan Majors’ Kang was set to return in upcoming Marvel movies. Considering that two of the main variants of Kang already introduced to the MCU, He Who Remains and Kang the Conqueror, were both seemingly killed, the franchise would have needed to offer a satisfactory explanation for the villain’s return. Several potential narrative avenues were seeded, but none are likely to now bear fruit within the MCU.

Finding a way for Kang to return in the story of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty – reportedly now known as Avengers 5 – would have been relatively simple for the powers that be, but the seemingly endless possibilities provide something of a mystery. With Majors axed, it doesn’t seem as though the question of Kang’s return will be earnestly addressed. Unfortunately, Kang’s return (or re-introduction) is a mystery that will likely remain unsolved in the MCU.

8

Was Jonathan Majors Set To Play Any More Kang Variants?

The Council Of Kangs Hinted At Many New Variants

Another MCU mystery that will not be resolved involves Jonathan Majors’ potential other roles within the franchise. Quantumania’s post-credit scene featured many Kang variants seen in the Council of Kangs, and heavily implied that many of these would play a role in future Marvel movies. With such a large number of variants confirmed to exist in the MCU’s Multiverse, it was all but certain that Majors would have gone on to play other roles in the franchise.

With Marvel having cut ties with Majors, it’s clear that these plans will not come to fruition exactly the same as they may have, even if some variants still appear going forward. However, there remains a question as to which variants were intended to be featured, and which would be played by Majors himself. Though not all Kang variants in the MCU need to be played by Majors, it’s clear that the intention was for him to play other versions of the character, though their specific identities will likely remain unknown.

7

How Long Would Kang’s Original Story Have Taken?

Kang’s Story Could Have Extended Beyond The Multiverse Saga

Kang was first introduced to the MCU in the season finale of Loki season 1, with Majors playing He Who Remains, the final surviving variant of the villain. After killing He Who Remains, Loki effectively freed the other Kang variants, spreading them across the multiverse and enabling the beginning of another of Kang’s Time Wars. Kang’s role in the Multiverse Saga was undoubtedly planned to be a major one, but it’s unlikely that fans will ever know how far his story would have extended.

Considering the nature of Kang’s many variants, it’s possible that the plan was to have heroic iterations of the character join the Avengers in the MCU’s future, akin to aspects of Victor Timely’s story in Loki season 2. It’s also possible that Kang’s villain story would have continued beyond Avengers 5, with later movies picking up loose threads to resolve the Multiverse-spanning arc. With Majors gone, it’s unlikely these stories will be fully explored, and therefore it’s impossible to know the extent of Kang’s planned story.

6

What Did Kang’s Time War Really Look Like?

Kang Conquering The Multiverse Was Never Shown

One of the biggest elements of Kang’s Multiverse Saga story was the Time War, explained in Loki season 1 as He Who Remains’ main motivation. Kang’s hunger for power resulted in a war between his variants for supremacy in the Multiverse, with many timelines and innocent lives destroyed in the crossfire. Other than a brief and rudimentary visual demonstration, the Time War was never depicted.

The Council of Kangs implied an impending battle between variants, but this will now most likely not happen. With Majors dropped, it’s also all but impossible that the MCU will revisit the Time War in flashbacks, as his casting as so many key Kang variants provides a distinct obstacle to doing so. The reports that Marvel is seeking to move away from Kang likely mean that the Time War will never receive any additional attention or context within the franchise.

5

Would Victor Timely Have Returned?

Victor Timely’s Story Was Open-Ended

Victor Timely was one of the most interesting additions to the cast of Loki season 2. A variant of Kang the Conqueror, Timely’s initial role in the story was unclear, with the character coming to help the heroes stabilize the timelines and the temporal loom. Though Loki teased his inevitable death, the God of Mischief was able to save Timely’s life by sacrificing himself.

Victor Timely – played by Jonathan Majors – ended Loki season 2 with a decision to remain at the Time Variance Authority and support the maintenance of the timelines. With his story left open and his characterization cemented as something of a hero, it seemed that Timely would make a return. Considering Majors’ departure, it’s unlikely Timely’s story will ever be revisited, and the question of how his life at the TVA turned out will never be answered.

4

What Was The Plan For Majors And The Council Of Kangs?

The Council of Kangs’ Plans Were Never Revealed

The post-credit scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania depicted the Council of Kangs, and teased the multiversal ramifications of Kang the Conqueror’s escape from imprisonment in the Quantum Realm. The scene showed a staggering number of Kang variants, all of which appeared to be in league with one another against their conquering variant. However, their specific plans were not revealed.

Without Majors, the chances the MCU will revisit the story are incredibly slim. The fact that so many Kang variants played by Majors appeared in the Council of Kangs scene makes it practically impossible for the MCU to effectively explore the variants’ plan for the multiverse. Without the actor the franchise placed at the core of the storyline, it’s unlikely the MCU will ever reveal the exact plans of the Council of Kangs after the events of Quantumania.

3

Would Kang’s Time-Travelling Have Had Any Links To The Infinity Saga?

The MCU Could Have Revisited Earlier Stories Through Time Travel

Kang’s characterization as a threat to the entire Multiverse is an interesting one, particularly where it pertains to timelines and variants. The time-traveling nature of Kang’s story enables a number of narrative devices, including potentially returning to earlier points in the MCU’s timeline. The reality-bending potential of such an idea could have huge implications for the Multiverse Saga, but with Kang’s story no longer the focus it’s unlikely to be used in any real way.

The original plans for Kang’s MCU story will likely remain unknown. It’s entirely possible that it would have contained time-traveling Easter eggs that connected the Multiverse Saga to the Infinity Saga, with characters visiting earlier points in the timeline similar to the Time Heist in Avengers: Endgame. With Kang now potentially dropped as the Multiverse Saga’s main antagonist, it’s unclear whether any such links were ever intended, or whether they may happen in the future.

2

Why Did All Kang Variants Look The Same (Unlike Other Multiverse Characters)?

Not All Multiverse Variants Follow The Same Rules

The Council of Kangs shown in Quantumania’s post-credit scene clearly depicted a gathering of thousands of Kang variants from across the multiverse. One thing that stands out about Kang as a character is that all of these variants were played by Majors, rather than varying drastically in appearance like so many other MCU characters. Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featured variants played by actors who are not the confirmed MCU iterations of the characters, but Kang appeared to adhere to different rules.

Whether this was simply a quirk of the Council of Kangs or a potential plot point will never be answered. The scope of the multiverse should mean that infinite number of Kangs looking an infinite number of ways should exist, but for some reason, the MCU’s Kang variants were all played by Majors. Majors’ departure from the franchise makes this now far more complicated, and will likely mean no answer to the question is forthcoming in the MCU’s future.

1

How Did Kang’s Story Connect To Secret Wars?

Kang Might Have Originally Played A Bigger Role In Secret Wars

In the comics, Kang the Conqueror isn’t the traditional villain behind the events of the Secret Wars story. As Marvel originally announced that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty would be the first part of a two-film arc followed directly by Avengers: Secret Wars, it was implied that Kang would play a major role in the second movie. This may well have meant Kang had been creatively written into the adaptation of the arc in a more prominent role.

The nature of Kang’s hypothetical role will almost certainly remain unknown. The question of Kang’s intended involvement in Secret Wars and the wider MCU and its future will likely never be answered, as it seems that Marvel cutting ties with Majors will have implications for the character in the franchise’s story. Despite Kang the Conqueror’s status as an epic and powerful Marvel villain, there will likely be many unresolved questions about him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.