Ant-Man 3 faced a lukewarm response from audiences, and its box office performance fell short of expectations, to say the least. In response to these challenges, reports indicate that the screenwriter, Jeff Loveness involved in the Antman-Marvel movie, has been ousted from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
The ongoing controversies surrounding Jonathan Majors’ Kang have also added another layer of complexity, making it difficult for Marvel to continue with any storyline involving Kang seamlessly. The studio now has to jump through all these hurdles to reach a definite conclusion.
Ant-Man 3 Screenwriter Let Go from Avengers 5 After Ant-Man 3 Disappointment
The third installment of the Ant-Man saga was most definitely the worst of the lot. And this time, not only the critics but also the box office numbers showcase how much of a failure this venture was. According to The Numbers, the film only earned $463 million at the box office in its theatrical run, way lower than its predecessors.
Of the reviews, the majority of them said that although the story was not outright atrocious, it wasn’t memorable either. Being the third of the saga, people expected things to be bigger and better. Unfortunately, the latter wasn’t true for the movie.
Thus, Marvel took notes, and although the current moment is turbulent because of Jonathan Major’s court case, they seem like they don’t want to take that risk. And thus, they removed Jeff Loveness from Avengers 5.
Although now it’s being said that the movie’s bad performance might not be the sole reason for firing, Marvel’s decision not to move forward with Kang might also be one of the primary reasons. Since MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios book co-writer Joanna Robinson spoke with The Ringer’s House of R (via ComicSoon.com), the podcast and revealed,
“I heard from someone recently…the screenwriter Jeff Loveness, who wrote Quantumania, was supposed to write The Kang Dynasty…anyway, it’s confirmed.–I had it confirmed to me he’s no longer working for Marvel. I asked the person why, and they said the reason why is he was all wrapped up in this Kang storyline and they are likely going to be moving away from that.”
Although none of the sources are, in fact, directly connected to Marvel, only time can reveal which way the studio will be moving forward.
What Can Fans Expect from Avengers 5?
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, now known as Avengers 5, remains uncertain following the official removal of Jonathan Majors as Kang. Despite Marvel’s Phase 5 hinting strongly at the villain’s significance through his involvement in Ant-Man 3 and Loki season 2, raising questions about whether the studio would potentially recast or go down a completely different Kang-less path.
Replacing Kang with Doctor Doom has also been previously suggested quite popularly, although things are far from being confirmed yet. Till now, it is known that the movie will be coming out on May 1, 2026.
Keeping aside Jonathan Majors’ complicated situation, no cast members have been officially confirmed, but familiar faces like Doctor Strange and Ant-Man are likely candidates due to their involvement in the multiverse.
The new Avengers lineup could potentially include the Fantastic Four, Shang-Chi, the new Black Panther, Ironheart, and Daredevil, while the young Avengers as teased before in The Marvels, including Kate Bishop, Yelena Belova, Kamala Khan, Cassie Lang, Skaar, and Echo, may also play crucial roles in the upcoming film.
Avengers 5 will be coming out on May 1, 2026.
