When the Marvel Cinematic Universe first introduced audiences to the concept of a shared universe, most didn’t know what that meant. Over the years Marvel Studios trained audiences to love, care about and become emotionally invested in the lives of characters they didn’t know existed before. While comic book fans usually have different discussions comparing the movies to the comics, general audiences judged the MCU as a shared movie universe. Without beholding it to the comics. Now, as the MCU struggles with poorly received shows and movies, and potential superhero movie fatigue, they also have to re-adjust their MCU Kang plans. But it should be much easier than everyone is assuming. Especially given that the general audience doesn’t care about who Kang is in the comics, making it much easier to pivot from Kang to a different villain. Here’s why…
Who Is Kang The Conqueror In The Comics?
Image via Marvel Comics.
If there ever was a loaded question— who is Kang is a complicated thing. Especially given that it involves time travel and alternate realities and divergents (variants in the MCU). The Kang character is originally Nathaniel Richards, a descendant of Reed Richards, the leader of The Fantastic Four. Through the use of time travel technology, Kang at one point becomes the Egyptian Pharaoh Rama-Tut in history. He becomes a hugely significant villain in the Marvel Comics universe soon thereafter.
Through Marvel Comics history, Kang tangles with The Avengers, The Fantastic Four and many more characters. His time travel nature and the fact that he has both literally become or assumed identities of, various other characters, makes him a formidable foe to the larger Comics universe. Kang’s attempts at ruling the world, killing the Avengers or uniting with his love, have been the focal part of some of the comics’ biggest storylines. So it makes total sense that Marvel Studios’ MCU Kang plans involve making him their next big villain.
Marvel’s Studios MCU Kang Plans
Image via Marvel Studios.
When Marvel announced their post-Endgame plans, part of it was looking forward to the next set of Avengers movies, titled Secret Wars and The Kang Dynasty. Basically telling fans that Kang would be the MCU’s major villain for their next phase after Thanos. Which was very exciting, given how big of a villain Kang is in the Marvel Comics universe. Not to mention his origin ties into Reed Richards and, not yet in the MCU, The Fantastic Four, means that they could adapt Kang into a villain who affects many new and existing characters in the MCU.
So far, Kang, or rather, variants of him have appeared in Loki seasons one and two, and another variant was the main villain of Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantummania. A post-credit scene of that film did reveal a council of Kangs, variants of Kang from all across the multiverse who look to potentially become a larger threat. However, most recently, the actor playing Kang, Jonathan Majors was found guilty of assault, and promptly fired by Marvel Studios. This puts Marvel’s MCU Kang plans in the Avengers movies, in jeopardy. Quickly sparking a debate of whether the character will be recast, and continue their plans. Or if they will pivot the entire MCU plans toward another villain.
In my personal opinion, the answer is clear.
The MCU Kang’s Story Is Over After Quantummania and Loki Season 2
Image via Marvel Studios.
Currently, in the MCU, there have only been two major stories that Kang has impacted. Loki season one saw one variant, as He Who Remains. While season two saw a pre-supervillainous Victor Timely, as someone who would become the Conqueror. Potentially. Quantummania featured the main villain as another version of Kang, who was truly terrifying. And the story for each of these characters ended, pretty conclusively. Loki himself replaced He Who Remains as the keeper of the multiverse. The epilogue of Loki season 2 saw that variant of Victor Timely never getting the TVA handbook, preventing him from going down the road to eventually becoming Kang. While the Quantummania variant saw his end by Ant-Man, which is something we have to accept.
So as far as MCU fans are concerned, the story of Kang and most of his variants have concluded. Marvel Studios can even dismiss the tag from Quantummania, the council of Kangs, through the scene at the end of Loki season two where we now know that the TVA is in charge of maintaining Kang Variants in the timeline. So that’s taken care of. For the casual MCU audience, Kang’s story has ended.
The MCU Kang Plans Can Easily Pivot To Doom Or Other
Image via Marvel Studios.
The MCU audience that has only followed the movies is unaware of the entire history of Kang in the comics. They don’t know about his origins, or significance to The Fantastic Four or any of the other Marvel Comics characters. Kang’s significance right now, at this point in the MCU, is only exciting for Marvel Comics fans, who know what a great villain the character is. For those fans, Kang is the perfect follow-up to Thanos, given his far-reaching impact in the comics.
But MCU audiences may not know all that. Or even care. So Marvel Studios can easily pivot to Dr. Doom, as the rumours go. Or even adapt an entirely different Marvel Comics villain for the next phases of the MCU. The reverence for Kang is only from comic book fans, which Marvel should understand and re-assess. While recasting is absolutely the easier way to go, and personally the preferable alternative, adjusting the saga for a new villain may not be as horrible a thing that everyone assumes. Especially when considering that general audiences don’t know Kang, beyond what we’ve already gotten in the MCU. And for those fans, Kang’s story has ended. Making it the perfect time to change directions to another villain.
Stay tuned for more on Kang and the MCU recasting or change to Dr. Doom.
Would you like Marvel Studios to recast Kang and continue with their plans, or change them for a new villain altogether? Let me know in the comments below. Or follow me on X (Twitter) at @theshahshahid for more on the latest MCU updates.
