The Next Avengers’ Movies Have The Easiest Solution To Removing Kang

Recent speculation has suggested that Marvel Studios may be looking to move away from Kang the Conqueror’s storyline in the MCU, and Phase 6’s upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars provides the best chance to explain this change. Jonathan Majors first appeared as a variant of Kang the Conqueror, He Who Remains, in Loki season 1’s finale, and the actor has since appeared as several other versions of the villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Loki season 2. While Kang the Conqueror has been set up as the primary adversary of the entire Multiverse Saga, Jonathan Majors’ arrest and assault allegations have reportedly led to Marvel Studios changing its plans.

The prospect of Kang the Conqueror being removed from the MCU has presented Marvel Studios with the opportunity to make one of its most expansive upcoming storylines even larger. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige first announced the development of 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars in 2022, initially intended to release hot on the heels of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, though there is now a longer gap between the crossover projects. Avengers: Secret Wars will bring the MCU’s Phase 6 and the Multiverse Saga to a close, and though not much has yet been confirmed about the highly-anticipated project, Secret Wars could provide the perfect explanation for Kang the Conqueror’s MCU absence.

Marvel Is Already Setting Up Secret Wars As A Huge Crossover

As the final project in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, Avengers: Secret Wars is expected to be based on Marvel Comics’ storyline of the same name from 2015. This comic story saw the main Marvel Universe destroyed by a catastrophic incursion, though surviving heroes were gathered on the jigsaw planet of Battleworld by an empowered Doctor Doom and Doctor Strange. Secret Wars’ storyline extended through various different titles, and featured a huge number of multiversal versions of popular heroes, which suggests that the MCU’s Avengers: Secret Wars may do the same. This could transform Avengers: Secret Wars into the biggest crossover event the MCU has ever seen.

The cameo potential of the multiverse has been glimpsed in several previous MCU projects, as legendary heroes formed Earth-838’s Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and characters from Fox’s X-Men Universe have appeared in the MCU’s Phase 5. With different realities expected to be coming together in Avengers: Secret Wars, the film will likely bring all these heroes together in a huge crossover. This lends itself to theories that Secret Wars could be split into two projects, similarly to Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, and would also help to distance the project further from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty​​​​​​​, rather than setting it up as a direct sequel.

Why Marvel Might Be Moving Away From Kang

Jonathan Majors was one of Hollywood’s most promising up-and-coming actors, which made his introduction into the MCU as the villainous Kang the Conqueror all the more exciting. However, Majors was arrested on assault allegations in March 2023, leading to him being dropped from various upcoming films, as well as being let go by his management and PR teams. Marvel Studios hasn’t yet made an official comment on Majors’ future in the MCU, though a recent disputed report by Variety suggested that Marvel Studios executives had discussed replacing Kang the Conqueror with another Marvel villain, cutting Majors’ role in the MCU short, though this hasn’t been officially confirmed.

More recently, speaking on the House of R podcast (via Comicbook.com), MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios author Joanna Robinson suggested that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness had been dropped from working on Avengers: The Kang Dynasty because Marvel Studios will likely be “moving away” from Kang the Conqueror. Loveness wrote Kang the Conqueror’s debut for Quantumania, which made him a strong choice for Phase 6’s Kang-led Avengers project. However, Loveness’ proximity to the overarching storyline of Kang the Conqueror meant that, if Marvel Studios intends to move away from this narrative, he likely isn’t the best person for the job.

Avengers: Secret Wars Doesn’t Need Kang

With Avengers: The Kang Dynasty set to release in 2026, it’s possible that Marvel Studios may remove Kang the Conqueror from the MCU prior to this project. This means The Kang Dynasty may be reworked with a new narrative, potentially putting more focus on a different villain who could pose a huge threat to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the multiverse in Avengers: Secret Wars. While some consider recasting the MCU’s Kang the Conqueror to be a more desirable choice, it’s also possible that a new villain will take the forefront, and there are no shortage of villains from Marvel Comics who could take Kang’s coveted position.

Marvel Comics’ 2015 Secret Wars event gave Doctor Doom, the iconic adversary to the Fantastic Four, the power of the Beyonders, and saw him set himself up as God Emperor Doom on Battleworld. Doctor Doom has been rumored to be debuting in the MCU soon, so featuring him as Secret Wars’ villain could be a strong option. There have also been theories that any number of prominent MCU heroes could transform into villains for Secret Wars, including Doctor Strange or Loki. Marvel Comics’ storyline featured many formidable villains, such as the Beyonder, Namor’s Cabal, and Galactus, so any number of these foes could take Kang’s place in Avengers: Secret Wars.