Both season 1 of Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania established 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 for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars into 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 Majors and 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 for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars and has fueled debates as to whether he should.
So far, Marvel Studios appears to be preserving its relationship with Majors. Initially reported by Variety, Majors is still attached to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and has signed on to appear in Avengers: 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 Dynasty is 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 regarding Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty won't be Majors' next appearance as Kang; the actor already completed filming for Loki season 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 after the events of Loki season 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 though Marvel Studios is planning to keep Majors as Kang the 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 future Avengers movies.
Avengers: Secret Wars arrives in theaters on May 1, 2026.
Source: Variety