Marvel is apparently in talks to move away from Jonathan Majors’ Kang villain as the studio discussed 'backup plans' following the actor's high-profile trial later this month.
Majors first appeared in the season one finale of Loki and was set up to be the MCU’s big bad as it headed towards Phase 6.
But back in March, the actor was arrested and charged after being accused of assaulting a woman during a domestic dispute, leaving his fate in the franchise unclear.
Throughout the whole process Majors has maintained his innocence.
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The actor had starred as He Who Remains in the Disney+ series, alongside Tom Hiddleston, with the character later revealing himself to be the villainous Kang the Conqueror.
While fans had suspected he was the MCU’s next supervillain, they were immediately captivated by his incredible nonchalant monologue during Loki’s season one finale.
It was very much believed Majors' character Kang was to be the MCU's main villain for the next several years, essentially the Thanos-like character of the Avengers: Endgame franchise.
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After the actor’s arrest though, his future in the MCU has looked unclear as Marvel considers how to move forward.
"We do not know what they are going to do. I’ve heard conflicting stories about they are going to replace him, they’re not even considering replacing him etc etc. But it’s just one more thing," author Joanna Robinson told The Ringer's The Big Picture podcast.
As per a report by Variety, Marvel executives considered a backup plan in the wake of the allegations against Majors - something bosses at the company are said to be still considering due to the damage done to Majors' reputation or if he loses the trial.
Marvel even went through the process of scrapping the character all together and bringing in another villain in the form of Fantastic Four baddie Doctor Doom.
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Variety states it was discussed whether the fan favorite could work with a possible rewrite of Phase 5 and 6.
But the reports add that dislodging Kang at the heart of MCU during Phase 5 and 6 won't be easy, even if Marvel execs wanted to make a change.
One insider even told Variety that 'Marvel is truly f**ked with the whole Kang angle'.
"They haven’t had an opportunity to rewrite until very recently. But I don’t see a path to how they move forward with him," the insider added.
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UNILAD has reached out to Marvel for comment.
Topics: Marvel, Jonathan Majors, Marvel Cinematic Universe