Both season 1 ofLokiandAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaestablished Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror as the driving force behind the overarching conflict for phases 5 and 6. However, recent events have thrown the studio’s plans forAvengers: The Kang DynastyandAvengers: Secret Warsinto question, but answers may be available now.
On March 25, Majors was arrested on assault, strangulation, and harassment charges in Manhattan. While his attorney has staunchly defended his innocence, Majors has already been dropped by his publicists and recast in two upcoming movies ahead of his May 8 court date. Recently,more alleged abuse victims spoke out against Majorsand agreed to cooperate with the Manhattan district attorney’s office. Though Majors' future with the MCU has been in question since his arrest, the revelation that there may be more victims with stories to tell has ramped up the speculation about Majors continuing his role as Kang the Conqueror forAvengers: The Kang DynastyorSecret Warsand has fueled debates as to whether he should.
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So far, Marvel Studios appears to be preserving its relationship with Majors. Initially reported byVariety, Majors is still attached toAvengers: The Kang Dynastyand has signed onto appear inAvengers: Secret Wars. Neither project has begun production yet, giving the studio time to consider their options and make a final decision about Majors' involvement with the MCU.Avengers: The Kang Dynastyis set to begin production in 2024, so if anyone at Marvel Studios is going to change their mind on the matter, they’ll have to do so soon.
With release dates in 2025 and 2026, there’s still plenty of time for things to change regardingAvengers: The Kang DynastyandAvengers: Secret Wars.Avengers: The Kang Dynastywon’t be Majors' next appearance as Kang; the actor already completed filming forLokiseason 2, which will be released on Disney Plus later this year. Any changes that Marvel Studios makes to the Kang casting will have to take place afterthe events ofLokiseason 2, and seeing as recasting Kang wasn’t part of the original plan for Phase 5, it’s unclear how Marvel Studios would handle a new actor taking over the character in-universe if they decide to cut ties with Majors.
At the moment, it looks as thoughMarvel Studios is planning to keep Majors as Kangthe Conqueror. While rumors claiming that Marvel has been discussing options to replace Majors have surfaced since his arrest, reports alleging the opposite have also made the rounds. If Marvel Studios did move to recast Kang the Conqueror, they’d have a wealth of qualified actors to work with. John Boyega, Damson Idris, and Lakeith Stanfield are just a few names that come to mind when considering who could take over a role that requires quite a bit of range.
Ultimately, it’s too soon to know how Marvel Studios will handle the situation. With the studio declining requests for comments and refusing to make official statements on the matter, fans must wait to see if the MCU will stick by their apparent decision by keeping Majors attached to two futureAvengersmovies.
