David Bridges
The month of May has historically been a significant period for Marvel’s Avengers films. Notably, the original Avengers movie made its debut on May 4, 2012, followed by Age of Ultron on May 1, 2015. Had circumstances unfolded differently, this weekend would have marked the highly anticipated return of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to the big screen, preceding the release of Thunderbolts, which is now set for a different timeline.
At the San Diego Comic-Con panel on July 23, 2022, Marvel Studios excitedly revealed that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars are scheduled for theatrical releases on May 2 and November 7, 2025, respectively. This ambitious duology was envisioned as the grand finale to the Multiverse Saga, which kicked off during Phase Four with Black Widow in 2021 and has since expanded across various films and TV shows.
The Loki series was pivotal in launching the multiverse concept, culminating in a dramatic finale that introduced the central antagonist of this saga, Kang the Conqueror, portrayed by the emerging talent Jonathan Majors. This multiverse theme continued to unfold with other projects like What If…? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, Majors’ official portrayal of Kang wouldn’t occur until the release of Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania in 2023, which coincided with a troubling turn of events in his personal life.
Just announced in Hall H:
Marvel Studios’ Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, in theaters May 2, 2025. #SDCC2022 pic.twitter.com/kCxeyYwgN5
— Marvel Studios* (@MarvelStudios) July 24, 2022
On March 25, 2023, shortly after the releases of Quantumania and Creed III, Jonathan Majors was arrested following allegations of assault against his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. The fallout from this incident, which included reports from various media outlets like Rolling Stone detailing Majors’ alleged abusive behavior toward past partners and colleagues, resulted in his management and public relations firms severing ties with him. Additionally, advertisements featuring him for the U.S. Army and the Texas Rangers were swiftly withdrawn. His film Magazine Dreams, a dramatic piece that had been considered a strong candidate for Oscars recognition, was left in limbo for two years before being picked up by Briarcliff Entertainment and released in March.
Throughout the initial wave of allegations and the ongoing legal proceedings, Marvel Studios remained relatively tight-lipped regarding Majors, despite him having completed filming for the second season of Loki. After he was found guilty of assault, Marvel officially severed connections with Majors. The studio subsequently rebranded Kang Dynasty, originally planned to be directed by Daniel Destin Cretton of Shang-Chi fame, into Doomsday, casting a returning Robert Downey Jr. as the iconic Doctor Doom. With this shift and the introduction of a new title, it became evident that the character of Kang was finished, allowing Marvel to explore narratives with other major villains.
It cannot be overstated how heavily Marvel invested in Kang’s character during this period. Not only was he central to two special Timeless one-shots that alluded to various comic events in 2022 and 2023, but he also featured prominently in Jed Mackay and CF Villa’s ongoing Avengers series. The marketing for Quantumania portrayed the film as the dawn of a “new dynasty,” culminating with a gathering of Kangs celebrating the impending chaos they aimed to unleash. Marvel had fully committed to Kang as the face of its multiverse initiative, but these plans unraveled due to unforeseen circumstances.
Unlike Thanos, who had only appeared in a couple of brief post-credits scenes before Avengers: Infinity War, Kang was more deeply integrated into the storyline of the Multiverse Saga. This made the decision to pivot away from him both awkward and somewhat comical. Upon reflection, it seems Kang was never truly positioned as a credible threat; in every appearance, he or one of his variants met their demise after being built up (often by himself) as an unstoppable force. In reality, he was defeated by mundane means such as a knife, ants, and Pym particles, as well as multiple instances of “spaghettification,” not to mention the handling of his counterparts by the Time Variance Authority offscreen. According to Kevin R. Wright, executive producer of Loki, the allegations against Majors did not influence the trajectory of Kang’s character, leaving it uncertain whether Kang was ever intended to achieve a significant victory in his titular film or how his arc might have progressed in Secret Wars.
Similar to the fate of the Inhumans before him, it seems unlikely that Kang will make a return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe any time soon, if at all, particularly given the shadow of Majors’ controversies and the overall lack of substance in his character. His brief tenure has effectively concluded an era that Marvel is eager to leave behind. For those who find themselves reminiscing about what could have been, there’s always Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to revisit.
For more exciting news from io9, stay updated on upcoming Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, and discover what lies ahead for the DC Universe in both film and television, along with all you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Daniel Mercer
