Marvel Studios has always faced obstacles, but the last few years after the Infinity Saga have presented some major uphill climbs. The shocking death of Chadwick Boseman caused Marvel Studios and director Ryan Coogler to restructure Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and likely other plans for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like so many others, the studio also had to deal with a pandemic that altered the rollout for its next saga. Marvel Studios also isn’t as successful as it once was, with various box office bombs and critical failures that would’ve been unheard of before and the WGA and SAG-Aftra strikes this year paused development for months. Now, Marvel Studios has moved on from Jonathan Majors after being found guilty of third-degree reckless assault and harassment.
Majors’ career was skyrocketing with the addition of Kang to his credits before the verdict. He was set to be the MCU’s next big bad, with Kevin Feige confidently stating at San Diego Comic-Con in 2022 that the MCU’s future rested on the actors’ shoulders. Majors first appeared as He Who Remains at the end of Loki‘s first season and then appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The studio has now fired Majors from the Kang role after the charges. While it’s not confirmed how Marvel Studios will move forward, it seems it will either recast the role or pivot to another villain. If Marvel Studios recast Kang, some believe it would explain why the character looks different. Here are some reasons why Marvel Studios will not have to do that.
Marvel Studios Hasn’t Explained Past Recasts
While Kang was set to be a major force in the MCU, this isn’t the first time the studio has needed to recast a role. Dating back to Phase One, Marvel Studios had to recast War Machine and the Hulk, who are still active in the MCU with new stars. More recently, Marvel Studios has found a new Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, with Harrison Ford taking over the role from the late William Hurt in Captain America: Brave New World. The MCU also recast Cassie Lang for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania following the character’s brief appearance in Avengers: Endgame.
With all these recasts, Marvel Studios has never acknowledged these characters’ new appearances within the universe. The story just moved forward without hesitation. The closest to an acknowledgment is a joke made in Iron Man 2 when Don Cheadle‘s James “Rhodey” Rhodes says to Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, “Look, it’s me. I’m here. Deal with it. Let’s move on” in his introductory scene. Black Panther died in Wakanda Forever after Chadwick Boseman’s real-life passing after the studio decided against a recast, so that might be the only way Marvel Studios explains Kang’s possible disappearance or death if they bring in a new villain.
The current Kang dilemma Marvel Studios faces resembles what the Fantastic Beasts franchise faced. The Harry Potter prequel series ended up recasting its villain after Johnny Depp was in a public court case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Depp ultimately prevailed in court, but Warner Bros. decided before the trial wrapped up. Mads Mikkelsen stepped in as Gellert Grindelwald after filming had begun. Like the MCU, there was no explanation as to why he had a different appearance. Suppose Marvel Studios pursues a new actor for Kang. In that case, it’s very likely an explanation won’t occur on screen because it is what the MCU and so many other franchises have done successfully before.
Kang Is a Multiversal Being With Variants
Another significant reason why Marvel Studios won’t need to explain away a new Kang within its narrative is because of what he represents. Kang’s threat to the universe is that he is a multiversal being with infinite variants, as seen in the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania tag with the Council of Kangs. Majors’ time in the MCU allowed him to play various versions of the character, from He Who Remains to Victor Timely. All the different versions of the character sported a different appearance and performance.
This makes it easy for audiences to accept that if the MCU introduces another Kang variant, a new actor behind it would make perfect sense. Marvel Studios has introduced plenty of other variants played by the same actor. However, the MCU has also already featured different versions of Loki and Spider-Man played by different actors, so it isn’t a leap that another Kang would follow that same logic. Along with that, Reed Richards will likely be played by a different actor than his multiversal counterpart, who was played by John Krasinski.
There’s also another reality Marvel Studios might be coming to terms with. Unlike Thanos, Kang hasn’t necessarily landed in the way Marvel Studios probably hoped. Kang has appeared in more projects than Thanos at this point in the phases and is a very different threat to the MCU, but it seems the response to Kang from audiences has been a mixed bag. This gives Marvel Studios the perfect opportunity to pivot to a more alluring villain like Doctor Doom, which has been rumored.
The MCU is in trouble and could use a course correction. In some ways, ditching Kang for someone new could be the perfect solution to bring back some lost audience members. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is also reportedly no longer being referred to with that title within the walls of Marvel Studios as the project eyes a new director after Daniel Destin Cretton‘s exit. Avengers: Secret Wars writer Michael Waldron also took over scripting duties, which could mean the films become more intertwined.
Plus, Kang’s storyline was largely explored within the two seasons of Loki on Disney+, and that story could serve as a fitting end to the character. The MCU isn’t as connected as it has been in the past, as other corners of the universe haven’t featured the multiverse angle and are setting up other storylines, like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier teasing Thunderbolts. With a few more projects left in Phase Five and Phase Six looming, Marvel Studios can use one of its more iconic villains in Doctor Doom, awaiting a proper adaptation on the big screen after two failed attempts. Given the current state of Marvel Studios, that might be too good of a course correction to pass up. Not to mention, actors across Hollywood might hesitate to step into the Kang role that follows a strong performer like Majors and all the controversy that comes along with it.
Marvel Studios finds themselves in another tough position after losing the actor who was the face of the Multiverse Saga. It has had to recast characters for various reasons, from creative differences to real-life tragedies in the past, so at least it’s not uncharted territory. When Marvel Studios has had to recast a character, it has never needed to explain why they look different, and it’s very likely the case with Kang if the character continues.
Luckily, Kang’s endless variants make it easy for audiences to accept a new actor in the role, too. Over time, various stars have played Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Joker, and other comic book roles. While finding a new actor to fill Major’s screen presence could prove difficult, it’s nothing new for followers of the superhero genre. The MCU has had behind-the-scenes drama, but this might be its biggest to date, and it doesn’t come at a great time. Yet, with all the unknown, it’s pretty safe to say Major’s absence won’t need to be explained within the universe itself.
