Unfortunately, Marvel/Disney has just lost a prominent player in the MCU as Jonathan Majors was found guilty on two misdemeanor charges in regards to his criminal case for his ex-girlfriend. I won’t speak about the case itself, but the key thing is that Marvel’s Big Bad may no longer be a part of the MCU. There’s been rumors that Marvel will simply replace Kang with a different actor. There’s also some speculation that Marvel may replace Kang with a new big bad, with Dr. Doom being the name that has mainly popped up.
None of this has been confirmed yet. Luckily for Marvel, they only have one film coming out in 2024 – Deadpool 3. Plus, they did somewhat give an end to Kang’s arc in Loki season two. In actuality, it would be better if Marvel dropped the Kang story altogether. The general consensus surrounding the MCU’s big bad isn’t particularly a favorable one, which is mainly due to the way Disney has handled writing their universe following Phase Three.
Disney Has Done A Terrible Job Building Kang As A Major Villain
What Kevin Feige did with Thanos was remarkable. Thanos didn’t officially make his debut until Avengers, but even then, he wasn’t the primary villain. Thanos usually had his lackeys like Loki or Ronan the Accuser do his dirty work. When they failed, he finally stepped up and made his presence known in Infinity War. Feige masterfully built him up as a huge threat. Though Thanos’s lackeys often failed to complete the mission that the big bad wanted them to, it didn’t affect Thanos’s mystique because those losses weren’t his fault.
So when he made his first appearance by destroying everyone in sight, it was impactful because he was the center focus that Marvel had been building up to since the first Avengers. Kang is different on the other hand. While it’s good that they didn’t copy and paste the same formula with him, Kang lost to a bunch of ants in his first major film debut. Even then, Kang came out on the losing end once again in the second season of Loki. I know that the key component is that there are variants of the big bad, but Marvel hasn’t done a good job of making him feel like a credible threat.
Kang should be winning. At the very least, his presence should have the same impact as Thanos did before Infinity War. There was a way to build Kang without him suffering so many losses early on. On paper, he’s a very interesting villain, but the MCU doesn’t seem to truly understand how to properly use him.
The Lack Of Direction Doesn’t Help
This feels like a broken record at this point, but it has to be stated that the MCU feels directionless. Granted, Thanos didn’t make his presence known before Avengers, but the MCU’s purpose during that time was building the Avengers. There was still a solid plan before Thanos existed. Here, it feels like Kevin Feige is throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.
Black Widow was ten years too late. Shang-Chi’s future in the MCU remains a mystery. It’s not fully clear what the purpose of The Eternals is. I could go on and on about the lack of connectivity in phases four and five. Marvel would’ve been better off taking a brief hiatus and drafting a good ten-year plan that led them to Secret Wars. There are way too many characters that lack any true direction in the MCU, and the Kang story hasn’t had any cohesion in the universe.
It Also Gives Disney An Out For The Multiverse
The idea for the multi-verse is fun. Seeing different variations of our favorite heroes or villains in another universe can produce some complex and memorable stories. However, the multi-verse has felt more like a hindrance to the MCU. First, it lacks any true stakes. If there are multiple versions of Doctor Strange or Spider-Men in the world then death no longer has the same effect that it once did. Plus, the multi-verse aspect hasn’t affected the normal world.
Typically, characters go into an alternate world and have all kinds of strange and wild experiences, but they tend to walk out unscathed. Disney shouldn’t just think about dropping the Kang story altogether, they should seriously consider leaving the multiverse behind for good. Kang isn’t the one that’s bringing down the MCU, but this sudden development regarding Jonathan Majors allows for the studio to take a moment to assess their plans. Hopefully, that’s the strategy as Marvel is currently in a dire state.
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