Apart from a few exceptions, 2023 has been a concerning year for the MCU, as most of their Phase 5 entries until now have failed to make it big, with The Marvels becoming their biggest bomb. And to rub salt to the injury, with Jonathan Majors being fired after the Manhattan jury found him guilty of reckless assault in the third degree and guilty of harassment, Marvel is now back to square one.
With Avengers: The Kang Dynasty now reportedly being referred to as Avengers 5, the possible routes that seem viable for the MCU are either to recast or replace Kang. Although nothing can be said for certain about how Marvel will tackle this hazy situation, fans suggested replacing Kang with Doctor Doom as the overarching villain of the Multiverse Saga is the perfect alternative.
Also read: A Jonathan Majors Kang Variant May Have Helped Tony Stark Build His $80 Billion Fortune
Doctor Doom Is the Perfect Alternative per Fans
It’s not hard to follow why fans see Doom as the perfect replacement for Kang, as not only he is one of the most renowned Marvel villains, but he was also the central focus of Secret Wars in comics. And considering Secret Wars is slated a year after Avengers 5, fans want Doctor Doom to be MCU’s next big baddie, as he can present himself as a prominent threat to the World’s Mightiest heroes.
Just go ahead and call it Doom Dynasty.
— Fresh Baked! (@FrshBakedDisney) December 18, 2023
Time for this man to come in pic.twitter.com/AsNvZQkvKb
— Cam Yocz ☘️ (@camyoppenheimer) December 18, 2023
Dr Doom?? 👀
— Cy (@Cybrid101) December 18, 2023
Dr doom as villain pic.twitter.com/NjWYSQTaYb
— L Y D O N 🦁 (@Shayor19) December 18, 2023
dr doom as the villain pic.twitter.com/MO8uPIhXs1
— asc 🦥 (@ascinhiding) December 18, 2023
Dr doom against the new avengers lineup pic.twitter.com/63bE0snDEJ
— Stoat (@Stoatszn) December 18, 2023
While at first glance, this does seem like the perfect alternative to Kang, it’s hard to say whether setting up Doom as MCU’s next big threat, especially in the current state of Marvel, will work or not.
Also read: Jonathan Majors’ Ex Grace Jabbari Was in 3 High-Budget Movies in 2023, Including a Marvel Flop
The Problem With Introducing Doctor Doom This Late Into the Game
Considering Hickman’s Secret Wars revolves around the idea of Dr. Doom crowning himself the God Emperor of Battleworld, it’s not surprising why fans are campaigning for him to replace Kang. However, in the comics, the Secret Wars served as the culmination of Jonathan Hickman’s much larger bodywork on other Fantastic Four and Avengers titles. And considering the MCU is well deep into Phase 5, reshaping the multiverse saga in order to craft Doctor Doom as the next big threat might be quite tricky.
Furthermore, keeping in mind Reed Richards and Doom’s twisted relationship takes center stage in the comics, it’s hard to say whether the impact can be replicated by introducing him this late into the game.
Another adequate alternative is recasting Kang, which also doesn’t seem too far, as Marvel is not new to recasting prominent characters, with one major example being Edward Norton’s Hulk. But it’s unclear if prominent names would be open to taking the gig after another actor was so publically fired. But as of now, fans can do nothing but patiently wait.
