There are 2 options and one has already been prepared

Jonathan Majors has been seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since 2021. He played the villain Kang in two seasons of Disney+ Loki and in the blockbuster film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. On Monday, Marvel Studios fired its star. Since March, his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari’s allegations against him have been in the air: domestic violence and bodily harm. The trial began in November.

A New York jury found the 34-year-old guilty on two of four counts. The news that Marvel Studios was also separating from the actor followed immediately. The exact sentence is yet to be announced.

But one thing is certain: Jonathan Majors will no longer appear in new films or series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel’s creative team is faced with the question: How should the superhero series continue without Jonathan Majors?

There’s no easy answer to this, as the universe has been tailoring its stories to Jonathan Majors and the powerful villain Kang since 2021.

The importance of Jonathan Majors to the MCU

Kang exists in an infinite number of variations. He is the most powerful being in the Multiverse – the system that Marvel built with films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Kang and therefore Jonathan Majors were positioned as the defining faces of this era. The plans based on Kang extend until 2026. Then the next Avengers film will be released, which until recently was called The Kang Dynasty.

The MCU now has to maneuver its way out of this tricky situation. Those responsible have two options to choose from. Spoilers for Loki Season 2 follow.

Option 1: A new Kang actor for the MCU

Recasting Kang would be the easiest way out; Hollywood and the MCU are familiar with re-castings. There are several examples in the superhero series alone: ​​Mark Ruffalo succeeded Edward Norton as Hulk, Don Cheadle replaced Terrence Howard as War Machine. The reasons back then: creative or financial differences.

The situation at Kang is far more sensitive. Jonathan Majors’ ruined reputation has rubbed off on the character, and that probably won’t be washed away with a simple dismissal. In addition, Hulk and War Machine were recast after one film each – and their roles are sometimes smaller and less important. Imagine if Lena Headey’s Cersei Lannister had been cast with a new actress after three seasons in Game of Thrones. This is closer to the current Kang situation.

Technically, the step would be feasible. Crocodile variants of Loki have also appeared in the MCU. (Most) fans wouldn’t be surprised if Kang had a new look. There are infinite versions of well-known characters like Spider-Man and Iron Man in the multiverse. Some look exactly like the usual characters, some have an extra eye or belong to a completely different species.

Option 2: The complete restart without Kang

Again, the entire MCU storyline from Loki to Avengers 5 follows Kang and Jonathan Majors. A new cast would be a risky step, and the audience’s reaction to a new actor would be unpredictable. The MCU could avoid this turning point – by simply considering the Kang story after Loki to be over.

Those responsible are apparently already working on the “de-Kang-ization” of the MCU. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Avengers 5 is no longer called Avengers 5: The Kang Dynasty, but is currently simply Avengers 5. Loki creator Michael Waldron has reportedly been changing the script since the end of November. And Destin Daniel Cretton, the original Avengers 5 director, is moving on to another project: Shang-Chi 2.

But who (what) is coming to Kang?

The MCU could install a new villain to take control of the multiverse. Here, too, there is a lot of hearsay: the industry magazine Variety wrote at the beginning of November that the Marvel bosses were considering integrating Dr. Discuss Doom. The villain is known from the Fantastic Four comics and is quite popular among fans.

Kang out of the MCU, a powerful new villain (perhaps Dr. Doom) in: As things stand, this emergency plan can be carried out much more elegantly than re-casting, because…

Loki Season 2 has already prepared the reset without Kang

In an interview with colleagues at FILMSTARTS, Loki producer Kevin Wright stated that he had not made any changes to the story in season 2 following the allegations against Majors. But – and now spoilers for Loki follow – In the season finale, the God of Mischief gains control over all timelines and the multiverse. Kang is struck back for the second time after Ant-Man 3.

Tom Hiddleston’s character begins neutralizing the various Kang variants (Victor Timely) in the final episode of the season. Since there are an incredible number of Kang variants, the hero would still have a bit of work to do. Nevertheless, Loki Season 2 shows: Kang is not that big, powerful and invincible. Loki could even be powerful enough to reset parts of the story until Ant-Man 3. Practical!

A lot of this doesn’t speak for the MCU writers’ careful handling of their mega-villain. However, this omission could turn out to be an unexpected advantage in the current situation.

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