Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, now referred to as Avengers 5, and Avengers: Secret Wars was set to feature Jonathan Majors’ MCU character, Kang the Conqueror, as a paramount threat in the franchise’s Multiverse Saga.
Read more: Jonathan Majors Sacked by Marvel as Fans Suspect Cillian Murphy as New Secret Wars Villain!
But since a Manhattan jury found Jonathan Majors guilty of assault and harassment during his domestic violence trial, ending the Emmy-nominated actor’s journey through the superhero franchise, the space for a “big bad” to impose a threat on our beloved superheroes remains vacant.
Marvel Studios, who have officially sacked Majors, could decide to recast an established actor to play the antagonist (re: variants), or they could sift through the many villains that graced the vast expanse of the cinematic franchise and select one (or more?) adversaries for our team of superheroes to defeat.
The following are potential candidates to take Kang the Conqueror’s place in the MCU’s subsequent phases.
1. The High Evolutionary
The dystopian geneticist, hell-bent on creating his own utopia, is deemed a compelling antagonist by many who have seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. As a filmmaker or writer, you can create a likable antagonist. However, you can tell apart a work well done from a mediocre effort when the audience begins to detest the villain. Such appears to be the case with High Evolutionary.
MCU fans loathe him. And that is what makes him the perfect evil. Some fans believe the Chukwudi Iwuji-depicted character is a strong candidate to replace Kang the Conqueror. Few have proposed theories that delve into his incorporation in the narrative as one of the Kang variants.
To put it briefly, the High Evolutionary appears capable of assuming the role of MCU’s primary big bad for its upcoming phases.
Whether or not the franchise decides to see him as a potential swap, director James Gunn verified the villain’s status and his imprisonment on Knowhere via Twitter. High Evolutionary’s life being spared leaves intriguing possibilities for the future.
2. Ultron
Although Ultron’s inclusion in our list of possible successors to Jonathan Majors’ Kang might seem questionable, nothing can be eliminated as a possibility in MCU’s multiversal narrative. Avengers: Secret Wars may see Ultron return to the MCU, and the Secret Wars 1984 comic reinforces this fan theory. It was here that the Beyonder restored and rejuvenated him. In this iteration, the superheroes faced a grave threat from the artificial intelligence.
Besides, in the comics, coming back again and again is his whole deal. Plus, as mentioned, with the multiversal territory the MCU is exploring, the return of Ultron (one from a different universe) isn’t too unlikely. The antagonist’s intrinsic nature as Artificial Intelligence makes a potential reappearance easy to justify.
The villain’s addition in What If…? was considered a perfect exploration of an alternate timeline. Who’s to say other timelines won’t feature an equally havoc-causing iteration of the dangerous adversary?
Read more: 1 Avenger May be Key to Destroying Kang in Secret Wars!
3. Agatha Harkness
Introduced in WandaVision (2021) and scheduled to appear in her titular Disney+ miniseries, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, Agatha Harkness may prove a significant adversary in the MCU’s multiverse narrative. It’s arguable whether or not she would be able to pose a more significant threat than the time-traveling despot. However, the magic-wielding witch is usually considered among the most high-powered MCU villains.
In Avengers 5 or Avengers: Secret Wars, featuring her among one of the adversaries the Avengers need to fight would make sense.
Kang was introduced as the to-be big baddie in Loki‘s first season. Agatha: Darkhold Diaries would be the perfect means to present a foe worthy of taking Kang’s place. The miniseries could prove crucial in developing her character and transforming her into a supervillain capable of inducing multiversal havoc. That, of course, remains a big maybe.
Read more: Ant-Man 3 Holds The Answer to Robert Downey Jr.’s Secret Wars Return!
4. Dormammu
If the goal for Avengers: Secret Wars is to surpass even the likes of Infinity War, then Kevin Feige might have to bring out the big guns into the picture. With Kang’s involvement in the franchise murky, the omnipotent overlord of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu, could be utilized as a crucial agent to evoke helplessness amongst our greatest MCU heroes.
The mystical inter-dimensional entity made his MCU debut in 2016’s Doctor Strange. The last we saw of the limitless eldritch being, he settled on a bargain with the sorcerer. There may be more to see of the cosmic creature, judging by the post-credits sequence of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the appearance of Clea, Dormammu’s niece.
While bets are on the interdimensional enemy appearing in a third Doctor Strange movie, others have surmised that we might see him, in light of MCU’s multiversal scope, in Avengers 5 and Secret Wars.
If MCU scraps Kang entirely, Dormammu would be a likely contender to give the time-traveling warlord a run for his money.
