Rather than replacing Jonathan Majors with a single actor, the MCU could utilize a wide range of actors to play Kang the Conqueror’s variants.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is storytelling on the grandest scale. With multiple movies and television shows spanning more than a decade and a half, all weaving together a singular narrative, the MCU thrives on continuity. A major part of that continuous story is the overarching threat. Provided by Thanos throughout the Infinity Saga, the “big bad” is the connecting tissue that is designed to bring the universe’s mightiest heroes together. For the currently in-progress Multiverse Saga, that villain is Kang the Conqueror.
Played by Jonathan Majors in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Seasons 1 and 2 of Loki, Kang is set up to be the Thanos-level threat for a new generation of Avengers. However, following Majors’ dismissal by Disney in the wake of a domestic abuse trial, Kang remains in limbo. Some reports have suggested that Marvel may look to move on from the character and shift to a new villain for the remainder of the Multiverse Saga, but for the story’s sake, the MCU should stay the course with Kang and recast the part with not one, but a whole slew of talented actors.
Kang the Conqueror is Too Important to Ditch Now
For as large as his impact on the MCU was, Thanos only appeared in five of the 23 films that make up the Infinity Saga. Of those appearances, two were exclusively in post-credit scenes – in The Avengers, Thanos is shown smiling with no lines, while after Avengers: Age of Ultron, he collects the Infinity Gauntlet and says, “Fine, I’ll do it myself.” Before Avengers: Infinity War, the Mad Titian’s only major appearance was in Guardians of the Galaxy, where he appears in just two scenes, one of which is a glorified Zoom call with Ronan the Accuser. Still, the character’s impact was felt throughout Phase 2 and especially Phase 3 as the Avengers and other heroes learned more about the danger Thanos presented. Once he did take center stage in Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, there was no denying that Thanos was a force to be reckoned with.
To this point in the Multiverse Saga – which is at roughly the halfway point of Phase 5 – Kang is no Thanos, even though he’s already nearly eclipsed his purple predecessor in screen time. More Kang makes sense. Phase 1 of the MCU was an intro to the heroes that would launch Marvel into the cinematic stratosphere while also establishing how exactly a shared universe on such a scale would work. By Phase 4, when Kang first appeared, audiences understood the structure of the MCU and were familiar with the majority of the heroes occupying it. With the memory of Thanos hanging over both the characters and the audience, the MCU needed to push Kang into play earlier to establish that he, too, was a worthy foe. So far, the results have been uneven. Quantumania was a mixed bag that showcased the potential might of Kang, but hardly established him as the next Thanos. Loki did better, offering multiple variants of character in He Who Remains and Victor Timely while stressing the dangers that an untold number of variants could pose.
Make no mistake, Kang is a worthy foe, as he’s demonstrated time and again throughout his comic book history. If the slow burn of Thanos proved anything, it’s that a gradual build-up of the overarching villain isn’t a bad thing. The foundations for Kang have already been established and considering how deep the MCU is into the Multiverse, he’s the most logical villain to complete the saga. Jettisoning the character now would render his appearance to this point useless. While still a box office behemoth, the MCU is on less stable ground than it’s ever been and rewriting the story halfway through would only destabilize the narrative more. Majors is gone, but Marvel still needs Kang and unlike most characters, he offers a distinct advantage in recasting – there are a lot of Kangs in the Multiverse.
The Possibilities For Variants Are Endless
Rumors have begun to circulate in recent weeks about who might take up the role of Kang. John David Washington has been floated as a Kang replacement, as has Coleman Domingo. Stephan James has also been mentioned as a replacement for Majors. All of those actors would be a perfect fit for the role, which is why Marvel should hire all three, but they shouldn’t stop there. In theory, there are an infinite number of Kangs across the multiverse. As Loki proved, that means there are female variants, too. Imagine for a moment some of the premier black actresses in Hollywood unleashing their talents as an unhinged supervillain.
Kerry Washington and Regina King both elevate everything they’re in and would do so for any MCU project as well. The same goes for older actors. Tobey McGuire is 21 years older than Tom Holland and they shared the screen as different versions of Peter Parker. It stands to reason that there are older variants of Kang, opening the door for accomplished actors like Denzel Washington – who could even share the screen with his son – or Morgan Freeman to make appearances. It might sound like wishful thinking, getting such highly respected actors to take roles in a superhero franchise, but the variety would actually make it easier to court those actors.
Scheduling for Marvel Movies Can Be Rough
Multiple actors for the upcoming Thunderbolts just had to be recast due to scheduling conflicts following a filming hiatus caused by the writers’ and actors’ strike. When it comes to getting an actor on board with a handful of major studio films over less than a decade, scheduling becomes a nightmare. The MCU is no longer the only game in town, either, thanks to James Gunn lending his gravitas to DC. If an actor wants to be in a superhero film, they’re about to have more options. Instead, Marvel should ask actors for a very reasonable two to three-picture commitment. For most, it’ll be a small cameo here and there as the Kangs organize, with the major screentime coming in the already delayed Avengers 5 and 6. Showing wildly different versions of the character in small roles and post-credit scenes as the lead-up to the first major Kang conflict since Quantumania would lend a lot of credibility to the threat the character poses.
The danger of Kang is not in his might but in his multitudes. Thanos was an immensely powerful, singular being. Kang, on the other hand, is powerful in his own right, but terrifying because of his sheer numbers. He is his own army. Seeing one actor in a green screen-generated shot with himself in various costumes and different makeup is less impactful than a scene showing a variety of powerful people embodying the same character. Casting multiple actors in the role would also afford the character more nuance. Each actor can bring their own energy, emotion, and feel for the role, thereby making each Kang variant its own person imbued with unique motivations on top of the character’s shared larger goal.
Marvel’s decision regarding Kang will likely come soon. The studio has only a single movie – Deadpool 3 – releasing in 2024, but numerous others are currently in or set to kick off production this year. As Phase 6 approaches, it will become more important to establish the next great threat to the MCU. Kang offers the studio an opportunity that few characters do – multiple people can play him at once. While a talented actor could fill the role alone and excel, the chance to play a variant-centric character like Kang only comes around so often. The Multiverse is filled with unique possibilities, which is why the MCU should be filled with unique Kangs.
