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Was Marvel's Establishment On Kang The Conquerer Storyline A Waste Of Time? Explored
Kang the Conqueror's arc in the MCU was abruptly ended due to legal issues, leading to a shift to Doctor Doom as the new big bad.
Comic-Con confirmed the return of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the post-Covid world, despite recent struggles with inconsistent movie quality and softer box office returns. The Hall H panel talked Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* and Avengers :Doomsday with Robert Downey Jr. set to return as Doctor Doom. Although Marvel has opted to not use the multiversal character Kang, one must ask that if all endeavors are lost by changing the direction of the Multiverse Saga.
Kang wasn't initially intended to be the main villain for the Multiverse Saga
Jonathan Majors' rise as a star in the making was evident 18 months ago, with breakout performances in indie films and TV shows. Marvel executives were impressed with Majors' character, Kang the Conqueror, in Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and leading to the Multiverse Saga phase where Kang would be the overarching villain.
This was an exciting prospect, as Kang has always been a fan-favorite villain in the comics. Thanos was a tough act to follow, but a time traveler assisted by multiple variants of himself seemed a worthy successor. Majors' scene-stealing debut in Loki's first season finale vindicated hopes that he would be a great villain.
Just over a month after Quantumania’s release, Majors was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend and fired from multiple projects after he appeared in Loki Season 2. His trial concluded in December, and he was found guilty on two counts of assault and harassment. Marvel fired Majors shortly after the verdict. The fifth Avengers film, The Kang Dynasty, was reworked and renamed Avengers: Doomsday, with Doctor Doom as the franchise's new big bad. This revelation has raised questions about the future of the franchise.
Was Kang a waste of time?
Marvel's decision to drop Kang from the franchise is frustrating, as much of their post-Avengers: Endgame output lacks a clear plan like the Infinity Saga. While reports suggest Kang wasn't initially intended to be the main villain for the Multiverse Saga, it's worth noting that his involvement in Loki and Quantumania was an endgame for the story arc.
Erasing Kang so abruptly also runs the risk of exacerbating fans’ fears of rushed storytelling, as Doctor Doom is set to debut in Avengers: Doomsday, and it’s possible his introduction could feel too abrupt this late in the Multiverse Saga. Thanos, in contrast, had a clear buildup since the first Avengers, along with brief appearances in post-credits scenes and the first Guardians of the Galaxy. On paper, Marvel’s easier choice on a story level was to recast Kang, especially since Marvel is no stranger to recasting. Since Kang is a multiversal threat, it’d be easy for them to justify casting another actor in the role.
Kang has not been as impressive as expected. His debut in Quantumania was underwhelming, lacking the dark pathos and intimidating presence of Thanos. His Quantumania variant is easily killed off, and the Kang Council quickly becomes the Big Bad, making him less compelling than Erik Killmonger. The character's lack of depth and dark pathos may be a drawback.
It was apparent at this point that Doom will be a much bigger factor than Kang himself and the movie is geared to lift storybeats straight out of his cosmic-based plotlines—maybe enough to win back the fans Phases Four and Five alienated. The liability that Marvel has in Jonathan Majors' role brought some bit of real life back into the Multiverse Saga and has trivialized films such as Quantumania. But, with Marvel having some weaknesses lately exposed, this would surely be a great step in the right direction to move ahead with an even stronger super villain: Doom.
ALSO READ: Avengers: Doomsday: Will Doctor Doom Be Connected to Iron Man?
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