The San Diego Comic Con, 2024 will be one to remember for the Marvel Cinematic Universe Fans. We got our first peek at Harrison Ford as Red Hulk (welcome to the MCU Han Solo). A clip of the MCU’s ultimate misfits banding together for Thunderbolts* was also revealed, while more details about Fantastic Four: First Steps were made available.
Yet none of it compares to the bombshell reveal that the MCU’s biggest performer is back, with Robert Downey Jr. joining as Doctor Doom, signaling the end of the road for Kang The Conqueror. But Jonathan Majors hopes otherwise.
Jonathan Majors’ Kang was at the center of the Multiverse Saga
Soon after the Infinity Saga came to an end with Tony Stark’s heroic sacrifice ‘killing’ Thanos and his army, MCU began to work on its next phase – introducing the concept of Multiverse. Its seeds were sown in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies. And the first ‘major’ step came with Loki, a series which introduced MCU to the TVA (and the Multiverse).
At the center of it all was He Who Remains, a variant of Kang the Conqueror, who had won a multiversal war, establishing the sacred timeline. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania introduced fans to Kang The Conqueror (in the flesh), and the Council of Kangs, setting the story up perfectly for the events of Avengers: Kang Dynasty.
Fate had other plans though.
Marvel had to turn to ‘Plan B’ after Jonathan Majors was found guilty
Jonathan Majors, the actor essaying the role of Kang and all his variants, found himself at the center of allegations of assault, strangulation, and harassment of his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, being arrested in March, 2023. She would have to be admitted to the hospital with injuries to her head and neck in the aftermath of the event. He would be found guilty of assault and harassment in December, 2023.
Being fired from the MCU followed not long after. With rumors about him being recast doing the rounds in the days leading up to SDCC, 2024, it was expected that a solution would be offered. And Kevin Feige & Co. did just that, re-titling Avengers: Kang Dynasty as Avengers: Doomsday, and Robert Downey Jr. joining the bandwagon, with the Russo brothers all set to return. The change means that the MCU has bid adieu to Kang for good. Or has it?
Jonathan Majors harbors hopes of reprising the role of Kang The Conqueror again
While it would be difficult to imagine Secret Wars without Doctor Doom, explaining how the Council of Kangs vanished into thin air will be a difficult question. It remains to be seen whether they somehow kill all of Kang’s variants off-screen, or whether they simply introduce Doctor Doom (RDJ’s version) as a bigger threat. If the latter comes to pass, hope is still left for Kang. And also for Jonathan Majors.
Though he’s been fired from the MCU, with even his Management Company, Entertainment 360, dropping him, Majors is looking down a barrel. But he still hopes to reprise his role as Kang. He told TMZ,
“Hell yeah! Hell yeah! I love him. I love Kang. If that’s what the fans want, and that’s what Marvel wants then let’s roll. Hell yeah.”
Though he’s heartbroken for not being a part of the MCU calendar, he seems to have not given up hope. Of course, the odds are bleak in light of his heinous actions, but they are the best the Devotion star has.
