Highlights
- Marvel Studios faces uncertainty over Jonathan Majors' future as Kang due to his ongoing legal troubles, leading to possible changes in their plans.
- Marvel executives have discussed replacing Majors with another character like Dr. Doom or recasting him, similar to past MCU actor replacements.
- The writers' strike and time constraints make it difficult for Marvel to make significant changes, possibly leading to a recasting decision in the future.
Marvel Studios' replacement plans for Jonathan Majors' Kang reportedly include two significant ideas. However, it could be too late for them to course correct before Avengers:Secrets Wars.
Loki season 1 introduced fans to Jonathan Majors as He Who Remains, a Kang variant. Fans were excited to see him play the next major villain in the MCU after his debut performance. A couple of months after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was released, Majors was arrested on charges of domestic violence. More victims came forward after Majors' arrest and have been working with the District Attorney in the Majors case. This has put his future in the MCU up in the air.
Loki Season 2 Exec Finally Addresses Jonathan Majors' Role In Light Of Legal Troubles
Loki season 2 is approaching, and one producer explained why Jonathan Majors' role as Kang wasn't changed despite the actor's arrest.
Variety reported that Kevin Feige and other Marvel Studios executives discussed the Majors situation at an “angst-ridden” retreat in Palm Springs in September. Although Marvel Studios did not initially drop Majors from their MCU plans as other companies did, the possibility that he loses the case may have forced them to change their plans. The executives at the retreat considered replacing Kang with another big bad from the comics, such as Doctor Doom. Executives also considered recasting Majors, as they have done with Edward Norton's Hulk and Terrance Howard's Rhodey.
Marvel reportedly considered replacing Majors' Kang after Ant-Man 3 received negative reviews that shocked Marvel executives. However, the writers' strike started shortly after Majors' arrest, meaning Marvel Studios couldn't rewrite their future projects. Reportedly, the Loki 2 season 2 finale sets up Majors' Kang as the titular villain of the fifth Avengers movie. One top deal maker who has seen the Loki finale said, “Marvel is truly f***ed with the whole Kang angle... But I don’t see a path to how they move forward with him.”
During the retreat, Marvel Studios executives discussed many other problems plaguing MCU projects, but how to handle the situation with Majors was the most pressing issue. It does not seem like a final decision was reached, but recently, more details about the case have been revealed, making Majors' future as Kang even more chaotic.
Marvel Studios probably doesn’t have enough time to change which comic book villain will be in future projects, as Kang has already been set up as the new threat. It seems more and more likely that they will recast him with another actor, but with the ongoing actors’ strike, they won’t be able to do that for a while.
Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 7, 2027.
Source: Variety
