The Kang Dynasty Dethroned: How Marvel’s Multiverse Saga Took an Unforeseen Turn
The month of May has historically been a significant period for Marvel’s Avengers films, marking the release of both the original Avengers movie on May 4, 2012, and its sequel, Age of Ultron, on May 1, 2015. At one point, fans anticipated that May 2025 would herald the return of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to the big screen, following their absence since the culmination of the Infinity Saga in Endgame. Instead, audiences will be treated to Thunderbolts.
During their San Diego Comic-Con panel on July 23, 2022, Marvel Studios unveiled their ambitious plans for the Multiverse Saga, announcing Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, slated for release on May 2 and November 7, 2025, respectively. These films were intended to be the grand conclusion to the saga, which commenced in Phase Four with the release of Black Widow in 2021 and subsequently expanded across various television series and films.
The Loki series played a pivotal role in establishing the multiverse narrative. The first season culminated in the revelation of Kang the Conqueror, portrayed by Jonathan Majors, as the saga’s overarching antagonist. While the multiverse concept continued to be explored in projects such as What If…? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Majors’ portrayal of Kang didn’t materialize in the films until 2023’s Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania. It was at this juncture that events took an unexpected and unfavorable turn in reality.
On March 25, 2023, mere weeks after the theatrical release of Quantumania, starring Majors, and Creed III, the actor was arrested for allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. The news, coupled with subsequent reports from media outlets such as Rolling Stone detailing Majors’ alleged history of abusive behavior towards former girlfriends and colleagues, led to the termination of his representation by his management company and PR firm. Furthermore, his advertisements for the U.S. Army and Texas Rangers were promptly withdrawn. Magazine Dreams, a bodybuilding drama featuring Majors that had been acquired by Disney’s Fox Searchlight subsidiary as a potential contender for the Oscars, was also abandoned, languishing in limbo for two years before being acquired by Briarcliff Entertainment and released this past March.
Throughout the initial allegations and the ensuing trial, Marvel remained largely silent regarding Majors, who had already completed filming for the second season of Loki at that point. However, in the aftermath of Majors’ conviction for assaulting Jabbari, Marvel officially severed ties with the actor. Subsequently, the studio retitled Kang Dynasty—which was initially set to be directed by Shang-Chi’s Daniel Destin Cretton—as Doomsday, and the role of the main villain was reassigned to Robert Downey Jr. reprising his role as Doctor Doom. With the announcement of Downey’s return and the new title, it became evident that Kang’s tenure in the MCU was over, paving the way for Marvel to introduce another significant villain.
It’s worth noting the extent to which Marvel had invested in Kang as a central figure in their plans. In addition to starring in two Timeless one-shots that hinted at various comic book events occurring in 2022 and 2023, the character had been a recurring presence in Jed Mackay and CF Villa’s Avengers comic book series. The marketing campaign for Quantumania touted the film as the beginning of a "new dynasty," culminating in a scene featuring a multitude of Kangs celebrating the chaos they were poised to unleash. The company had fully embraced the villain to spearhead its multiverse endeavors, only for those plans to be disrupted by circumstances beyond their control.
Unlike Thanos, whose appearances prior to Avengers: Infinity War were limited to two brief post-credits scenes, Kang was more prominently featured in the Multiverse Saga, making the pivot away from him both awkward and somewhat amusing. In retrospect, the villain’s portrayal did little to establish him as a credible threat. In each of his appearances, Kang or a variant of him met his demise after being hyped up (often by himself) as an unstoppable force. He was ultimately defeated by seemingly insignificant factors such as a knife, ants, Pym particles, and multiple instances of spaghettification, not to mention the offscreen encounters with the Time Variance Authority that resulted in the elimination of other variants.
According to Loki’s executive producer, Kevin R. Wright, the allegations against Majors did not influence the ultimate resolution of his character(s). Therefore, it remains uncertain whether Kang would have achieved a genuine victory in his titular film or how his storyline would have been further developed in Secret Wars.
Similar to the Inhumans before him, it is unlikely that Kang will return to the MCU anytime soon, or at least not for many years. With Majors’ history overshadowing the role and the character failing to make a lasting impact, his brief presence in the MCU marks the end of an era that Marvel is eager to move past. For those who lament what could have been, there is always Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. The abrupt shift and recasting, though born of unfortunate circumstances, offers Marvel a new canvas upon which to paint the next chapter of its cinematic universe, possibly leading to even richer and more engaging narratives. Only time will tell what the future holds for the MCU.
