Marvel Studios’ major challenge with Kang could be solved by having the next MCU big-bad be associated with the Fantastic Four.

Marvel Studios has found itself in quite a dilemma after Kang the Conqueror star Jonathan Majors was convicted of assault and harassment. The actor was all set to play the next major big bad in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, following the conviction, Marvel Studios announced that it had parted ways with the Creed III actor.

With Majors out of the picture, Kang the Conqueror’s future remains in the air. Over the past few months, many have suggested various alternatives for the studio to explore. The most obvious options include bringing in a new actor for Kang or pushing the character out completely. But, how would Marvel Studios pull off such a big change, since the character had been set up to carry the MCU’s Multiverse Saga? The easy answer to this problem involves one of the franchise’s most popular families, the Fantastic Four.

Marvel Studios Need to Quickly Decide on Kang’s Future in the MCU

It has been nearly three years since the first (or last to his perspective) Kang variant debuted in Season 1 of Loki as He Who Remains. The series set up the Multiverse Saga’s new big bad as a menacing universe-hopping threat. Since then, multiple Kang variants have made their way through projects like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Season 2 of Loki.

Following the success of the Infinity Saga, the franchise hedged its bets on Kang the Conqueror to put the MCU on its back through the Multiverse Saga. In the previous phase of the MCU, Thanos played a major role as the big MCU threat. Kang’s role seemed to be much bigger, as he was introduced quite early in the process. However, all the upcoming plans for the character are now in question, and there’s not a lot of time for course corrections.

In the run-up to the two big Avengers films at the end of the Multiverse Saga, there aren’t many projects that could fit a character of Kang’s stature. With the Multiverse Saga almost reaching the halfway mark, Marvel Studios needs to figure out a plan for the MCU’s overarching antagonist. In the end, the question now remains as to where and how Marvel Studios could rework its plans. That’s where the Fantastic Four comes in.

The Fantastic Four Could Help With Recasting Kang the Conqueror

The Fantastic Four has been one of the most hyped MCU films in development. Ever since Kevin Feige broke news about the project’s development, fans have shown their excitement for the long-awaited MCU debut of Marvel’s First Family. While the project may have been in developmental hell for quite a while, it seems like the film is finally on track with director Matt Shakman. It’s interesting to note that the studio has yet to reveal any details about the film’s cast. Theories about the film’s antagonist have long been discussed by the fandom. However, it’s also important to note that the team is connected to Kang the Conqueror, or at least, one of its variants.

In Marvel Comics, one of the Kang variants is Nathaniel Richards, a 31st-century scientist and a descendant of Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic. With the Fantastic Four all set to play a pivotal role in the Multiverse Saga, a Kang variant with connections to the team would be perfect. It thus allows Marvel Studios to recast the character by introducing a new variant, which is part of the Richards bloodline.

Kang is one of the easiest characters to recast since the MCU could describe the next version of the antagonist as a variant from a parallel universe. Similarly, the MCU could also play with its timeline by introducing a variant from the future. There are a variety of ways to introduce a new variant in the mix, and the Fantastic Four’s involvement makes it easy for the character to be a gripping and threatening villain down the line.

Marvel Studios Could Also Move Away From Kang the Conqueror

While recasting is an option worth exploring for Marvel Studios, the franchise could also completely move away from Kang the Conqueror. The character’s menacing nature has yet to translate in the live-action franchise. To add to that, projects featuring Kang like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania failed to create any major buzz at the box office. Thus, a case could be made that the character could be done away with for the time being in favor of another villain from Marvel’s big rogues gallery.

To replace Kang, the studio wouldn’t choose any run-of-the-mill villain from the comic book franchise. Instead, it needs a galactic or even multiversal-level threat that could threaten the existence of the MCU or other Marvel universes. Luckily for Marvel Studios, the Fantastic Four is linked to many such villains. Characters like Doctor Doom, Galactus, and many others primarily serve as the villains of the First Family. However, they’ve often transitioned to being a thorn for the Avengers in the comics. A great example of this is Doctor Doom, who serves as the main antagonist in storylines like Secret Wars. It’s also a plot that might be adapted for the live-action Avengers project of the same name.

Due to the Fantastic Four’s relevance in the Marvel Universe, the group is pretty much connected to almost every major villain, hero, and superteam. If the film plans on debuting Doctor Doom, then Marvel Studios could easily prop up the iconic villain as the big bad of the Marvel Universe. Similarly, a post-credits scene could also tease the arrival of Galactus or even Doctor Doom, if the film features another villain.

Ultimately, Marvel Studios has a variety of choices when it comes to the franchise’s future involving its big bad. At the moment, the studio has yet to make any decision about the future of Kang the Conqueror. However, that decision needs to be made sooner rather than later, as the MCU slowly paces toward the halfway mark of the Multiverse Saga. In the end, it’s fair to say that the Fantastic Four will likely drive the franchise forward. There’s no better way to recast the role of an over-arching villain like Kang or introduce threats like Doctor Doom or Galactus to the MCU to challenge Reed Richards and the rest of the First Family of Comics when they make the jump to the big screen.