Actor Jonathan Majors' star power has been steadily growing for years. This year things seemed to hit new heights, as he starred as the antagonist of two back-to-back blockbusters Creed III and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. It's for this reason that the public was shocked after Majors was charged with misdemeanor assault and harassment in NYC, and began seeing some professional setbacks as a result. Comic book fans are wondering what's going to happen with his ongoing tenure in the MCU, especially given his role in Loki Season 2 and the forthcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. And if it comes down to it, there are 5 actors I could see replacing Majors as Kang.
Over the past few years Marvel fans were promised that Kang would be the next Thanos-level threat to the shared universe, which is why Avengers 5 is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies. The Lovecraft Country actor made a splash in Ant-Man 3 as well as the Loki Season 1 finale, which is why so many eyes are on how Majors' legal issues might affect the MCU. Majors ended up being found guilty for assault and harassment, and Marvel studios promptly parted ways with the actor. If they decide to recast, there are a few choice talents who could kill the role.
Aldis Hodge
This list has plenty of actors who are experienced with genre work and action sequences. After all, Kang is going to presumably be taking on all of the heroes currently in the MCU. Aldis Hodge is a talented actor who we've seen comfortably function within a comic book-based shared universe. While Black Adam ended up being a box office disappointment, audiences seemed to really connect with Hodge's take on Hawkman. Although with James Gunn and Peter Safran now co-CEOs and creating a new shared universe, it's unclear how the JSA will factor in.
If Black Adam's team of heroes don't return to the DCU, it might open the door for Hodge to pivot to the Marvel side of things-- especially if the studio is looking for another talent for the role of Kang. It's a daunting role, we've been promised to see a seemingly endless supply of variants for the villain. But the 36 year-old actor has offered some acclaimed performances in projects like The Invisible Man, and I bet he'd be a killer Kang.
Colman Domingo
This one isn't an idea that I came up with personally. While I'm a major fan of Colman Domingo in pretty much everything he's done, the internet has been buzzing with the idea of him possibly taking on the role of Kang. Domingo is rumored to be Marvel's first choice, and he's definitely got the acting chops to pull of playing multiple variants of Majors' former villain.
While nothing has been confirmed just yet, Domingo previously voiced his interest in playing a comic book villain on the big screen. And given his acclaimed work in projects like The Color Purple, Fear The Walking Dead, and his Emmy-winning performance in Euphoria, he's certainly got the acting chops to pull it off. We'll just have to see if these rumors end up coming to fruition.
John Boyega
Actor John Boyega became a household name when he debuted as Stormtrooper turned rebel Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He'll likely always be synonymous with the galaxy far, far away, but I'd love to see him involved in another major IP. And what better choice is there than the Marvel Cinematic Universe? I mean, unless Finn is finally going to become a Jedi.
While there are currently rumors about Boyega returning to Star Wars in the Rey movie, I also think he'd be a perfect choice to play Kang the Conqueror. He's an extremely charismatic actor (case in point: The Woman King), and I would be fascinated to see what he would bring to different variants of the Marvel antagonist. And since he's already got a good relationship with Disney, it makes a great deal of sense for him to join the MCU eventually. Although for his part, Boyega had indicated he's not interested in taking on the role.
O-T Fagbenle
Technically this actor already has a role in the MCU. The Handmaid's Tale star O-T Fagbenle played Natasha's friend/ love interest Rick Mason in Black Widow, but it was a fairly small role. But since Gemma Chan had a role in Captain Marvel before being cast as Sersi in Eternals, technically there is precedent and wiggle room for Fagbenle to get another role... specifically as Kang.
While his role in Black Adam was fairly limited, the 42 year-old actor is an accomplished character actor who is genuinely a chameleon in various TV and film projects. It's because of this versatility that I think he could possibly replace Jonathan Majors as Kang-- especially since we're going to be introduced to a massive group of variants. Of course, this all depends on if Marvel ends up deciding to recast. For their part, neither the actor or studio have given any indication that this is happening. And Fagbenle is presumably busy with the final chapters of The Handmaid's Tale.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Here's is another epic choice for a possible replacement as Kang. Like many on this list, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has experience with genre work (although he's referred to it as clown work), with his career spanning both TV and film. He won an Emmy for his work on HBO's Watchmen series, where he played none other than Doctor Manhattan. Additionally, he had an ongoing part as Black Manta in the DC Universe. He first debuted as this character in James Wan's original Aquaman movie, and he's expected to reprise that role in the sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
On top of this superhero specific projects, Abdul-Mateen also did genre work in Nia DaCosta's acclaimed Candyman sequel. In both that movie and Aquaman he was able to flex some villainous muscles, which would be on full display if he replaced Jonathan Majors as Kang. We'll just have to wait and see what Marvel is planning. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
