One Avengers Villain Statistic Proves It’s Not Too Late To Replace Kang In Avengers 5

As Jonathan Majors’ domestic violence case heads to trial, the Marvel Cinematic Universe faces a dilemma about what to do regarding Kang the Conqueror, especially as the franchise builds to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but one villain statistic proves it’s not too late to replace him. Kang was immediately established as the Multiverse Saga’s Thanos-level villain when one of his variants, He Who Remains, first appeared in Loki season 1. Another variant of Kang then made his cinematic debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and the MCU movie’s credit scene introduced the Council of Kangs, signaling that this character would be a massive threat to the future of the multiverse. Yet another one of his variants, Victor Timely, was brought to life in Loki season 2.

Despite all the anticipation Marvel has built up for Kang to be the main villain in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, after Majors’ arrest, Marvel considered replacing him with Doctor Doom. Some reasonably argue that replacing Kang is a bad idea, as the MCU has already worked so extensively to set him up as the ultimate villain of the Multiverse Saga. But Marvel has demonstrated in the past that a villain does not need multiple films worth of setup in order to be successful, so Marvel could still replace Kang by the time the fifth Avengers movie is slated to premiere in 2026.

Loki Proves Avengers Villains Don’t Need Several Movies Of Build Up

Loki, ironically the first character to meet Kang in the MCU, is a great example of a villain not needing extensive build up in order to be compelling. Before he became the Mind Stone-wielding, intergalactic threat that the Avengers teamed up for the first time to defeat, the God of Mischief was simply a confused and angsty Asgardian prince in Thor. His arc and motivations in Thor felt very localized, as he longed to escape his brother’s shadow, gain the approval of his father, and understand why he felt so different from his family (turns out he was adopted). It’s easy to assume that he is a threat unique to Thor.

When Loki arrives in The Avengers, however, he feels like a new character. Even Thor is unsure of his own brother’s plan or intentions, and the element of mystery strengthens Loki as an antagonist. Because the Avengers aren’t sure what Loki is capable of, they fear him more. If the MCU does decide to swap Kang for another villain, it has ample amounts of time and opportunities to allow them to shine in their own project with an individual MCU hero and then introduce them in the fifth Avengers movie. The Avengers team could work together to uncover the new foe’s master plan like the original group did with Loki.

Why Replacing Kang Is Problematic For Other Reasons

While replacing Kang would be pretty easy for Marvel to do, it does not mean that they should. The MCU is currently in a very unstable place due to a multitude of factors, including the overwhelming volume of content it’s released over the past three years, delays from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and changes in leadership resulting in dramatic overhauls. The current saga generally lacks vision as all of its characters and plot lines do not seem to be clearly interwoven they way they were in the Infinity Saga. The only consistent narrative throughline is the introduction of the multiverse ushering in an unthinkable multiversal threat through Kang.

Audiences know that the current saga is steadily building up to him playing massive roles in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. If Marvel were to change his role, it would look like yet another example of how the studio is declining in quality. It would be smart for Marvel to work at strengthening the groundwork it has already laid for Kang and build him up to be a villain more terrifying than Thanos. If another villain is introduced, it may be best for them to act as a foil or partner to Kang, not overshadow him completely.