The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a well-oiled machine, one that is constantly expanding thanks to projects hitting theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Those of us who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that the studio was setting up Kang to be the next Thanos-level threat to the MCU. But Jonathan Majors' firing threw a wrench into those plans, and now the next Avengers movie will be titled Doomsday and centered around Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. And a wild new rumor indicates how the MCU will reportedly move on from Kang.
What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but it's a clear sign that Kang is no longer going to be the big villain of the MCU. Fans had been wondering about this ever since Majors' legal issues went viral. And a new rumor reported by CBM claims that the strategy to retcon Kang is simply for him to stop appearing altogether.
Per this report, an upcoming Marvel movie will confirm that Loki's Time Variance Authority successful in pruning Kang's variants before they could unite and begin an all-out multiversal war. Alas, it seems that Ant-Man 3's credits scene involving all the variants was a narrative that never got to be completed. That is, assuming these rumors are true.
Of course, we should probably take this report with a grain of salt for the time being... at least until official word comes from Marvel Studios. Still, Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom is supposed to be the big villain of the next two Avengers movies (which will also feature the return of The Russo Brothers). But since The Kang Dynasty has been renamed to Doomsday, the hints are obvious that the MCU might be dropping the multiversal villain as a character/ plot point.
Kang simply being handled off camera would definitely be a bold swing, especially since his role was built up throughout two season of Loki as well as Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. After Majors' legal issues went viral, some fans thought Marvel might replace Jonathan Majors with another actor, and therefore continue the story of Kang. After all, the use of variants seemingly could have permitted a big change in his appearance. But now it seems like the MCU might simply be putting the entire story behind them without any real conclusion.
Of course, the fact that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to Marvel as the Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom might be so exciting that fans accept that Kang is no longer a thing. We'll just have to wait for the studio to make an official ruling, or some exposition reveals Kang's fate in the shared universe.
The next MCU movie hitting theaters is Captain America: Brave New World on February 14th. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates.
