MCU Won’t Get Rid of Kang After Jonathan Majors’ Firing, Thor is No Longer a Part of the Core Avengers: Latest Avengers 5 Rumors Are Quite Concerning

The climactic two-part event is also rumored to be eyeing Steven Caple Jr. to direct the films.

jonathan majors, thor

SUMMARY

  • Jonathan Majors was dropped from all future Marvel projects as Kang after he was arrested and sentenced in 2023.
  • The actor was supposed to be the main antagonist in Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars, but things seemed to be unclear after his firing.
  • However, a new update revealed that Marvel is still looking at Kang as one of the villains in Avengers 5.
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While the MCU expands with the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, the franchise has one of its biggest movies awaiting an update. The climax of the ‘Multiverse Saga’ is looming on the horizon. The franchise has yet to share any news about Avengers 5, especially after it lost its main villain Kang after the actor Jonathan Majors was sentenced and dropped from the role.

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However, a popular scooper has revealed some major updates about the film. The film is set to focus on the ‘New Avengers’ which does not seem to include some OG members of the team such as Thor and Hawkeye. Despite Majors’ firing, Kang still seems to be in the mix and will reportedly be one of two villains.

New Avengers 5 Updates Include Jonathan Majors’ Kang

Jonathan Majors plays Kang the Conqueror and all its variants in the MCU.
Jonathan Majors in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

After the massive success of Avengers: Endgame, the MCU explored the multiverse in Phases 4 and 5 of the franchise, with a climactic Avengers film planned to wrap up the storyline, much like the ‘Infinity Saga’. While the OG Avengers such as Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans departed from the franchise, it had to assemble a new team.

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Avengers 5 (then Avengers: Kang Dynasty) and Avengers: Secret Wars were announced at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2022 (via Variety). Jonathan Majors’ Kang was supposed to be the main antagonist in the film. However, Majors’ arrest and sentencing in 2023 led to him being dropped from the role and all subsequent projects (via THR).

The Council of Kangs in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
A still from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Now, new updates have been revealed about Avengers 5 by popular scooper HolyField. The film will reportedly still explore Kang (possibly a recast) as one of the villains in the film. It is also set to explore other villains, with Kang being the multiversal antagonist and the others being a ‘ground level one’. Other updates included a new Avengers team and the director.

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Jonathan Majors’ Kang was always set to be the main antagonist with his appearance in Avengers 5 being built up in the Disney Plus show Loki and the film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. However, Majors’ arrest and subsequent sentencing foiled the MCU’s plans. HolyField also mentioned that the Kang storyline would be carried over to Avengers: Secret Wars (via X).

MCU’s Avengers 5 Excludes The ‘Big Three’, Distances Thor In The Process

The OG Avengers assemble in the Battle of New York in The Avengers (2012)
A still from The Avengers (2012)

Though Marvel seemed to have explored options to bring back the OG Avengers into the new Avengers 5, including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Black Widow to compensate for their Jonathan Majors problem, they seemed to have avoided that strategy (via Variety). According to HolyField, the film will avoid the ‘Big Three’ concept in Avengers 5.

The team reportedly includes Captain America, Hulk, Falcon, and Black Panther and will reportedly begin assembling Captain America: Brave New World. However, this means that one of the OG Avengers who still had a solo film after Avengers: Endgame, Thor, will be distanced from the film.

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Though his last outing Thor: Love and Thunder was a commercial success, the Chris Hemsworth starrer received negative reviews for its direction and writing. Many cited that the film did not take itself seriously and clubbed it among many of the MCU’s post-Endgame failures. Hence, it would be wise for Marvel to explore other characters in Avengers 5.

Avengers 5 is scheduled to be released on May 1, 2026.

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Written by Nishanth A

Articles Published: 1193

Nishanth A is a Media, English and Psychology graduate from Bangalore. He is an avid DC fanboy and loves the films of Christopher Nolan. He has published over 1,000 articles on FandomWire. When he's not fixating on the entire filmography of a director, he tries to write and direct films.