5 Scenarios for the MCU Post-Jonathan Majors' Exit

Original article source: Kincir.com

Marvel Studios is currently undergoing the Multiverse Saga in the MCU, which spans from the fourth through the sixth phases. Jonathan Majors was cast as the arch-villain Kang the Conqueror, a pivotal character who has already made appearances in three MCU projects. However, in early 2023, Majors faced allegations of committing violence against his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari.

Not long after appearing in the film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), Jonathan Majors was involved in a an assault and harrassment cases. By the end of 2023, Majors was found guilty by the court and potentially faced a one-year prison sentence. Marvel Studios has since terminated Majors' role as Kang in the MCU but has yet to disclose the fate of the villain in the Multiverse Saga.

Now, let's discuss several scenarios that Marvel Studios could pursue in the Multiverse Saga following the dismissal of the actor portraying Kang the Conqueror.

1. Recast
Jonathan Majors with another actor as Kang the Conqueror

The most likely first scenario for Marvel is to replace Jonathan Majors with another actor as Kang the Conqueror in the MCU. This is because the MCU has already developed the story of Kang the Conqueror and the multiverse conflict through "Quantumania" and two seasons of the "Loki" series. So, it would seem strange if the MCU just abandoned Kang's story just because the actor had problems.

Should this recasting occur, Majors would not be the first actor in the MCU to be replaced due to off-screen issues because Marvel previously recast the role of James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, also known as War Machine. In "Iron Man" (2008), Terrence Howard portrayed Rhodey, but Don Cheadle took over the role starting with "Iron Man 2" (2009), following disputes over Howard's salary demands. Given that Marvel has navigated actor replacements for financial disagreements, it stands to reason they might similarly address situations involving actors embroiled in legal controversies.

2. Have different actors portray the variants of Kang the Conqueror

This scenario isn't much different from the previous one. In the previous scenario, Majors' replacement actor portrayed all the Variant versions of Kang the Conqueror, such as the Council of Kangs we saw in the "Quantumania" post-credits scene. However, in this second scenario, each Variant of Kang the Conqueror is portrayed by different actors.

This is also highly feasible because, so far, the Variant concept in the MCU hasn't been very consistent. For example, each Variant of Kang the Conqueror or Doctor Strange has the same appearance, but the Variant of Loki and Spider-Man mostly have different appearances. This inconsistency should mean that audiences won't be too surprised if Kang has a different Variant appearance each time he appears in the future.

3. Change the focus of the Multiverse Saga's main villain with another antagonist

If Marvel is hesitant to replace Jonathan Majors with another actor for Kang the Conqueror, then they might opt for this strategy. Rather than recasting the actor, Marvel could shift Kang the Conqueror from his position as the primary villain of the Multiverse Saga to another antagonist.

This possibility had been speculated some time ago when the controversy surrounding Majors was at its peak. Marvel was rumored to be considering replacing Kang the Conqueror with Doctor Doom as the main villain of the Multiverse Saga.

After Majors was officially found guilty, it certainly does not rule out the possibility that this rumor could materialize in the upcoming continuation of the Multiverse Saga. Furthermore, the change of the film title from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to simply Avengers 5 post-Majors' conviction opens the door for a new villain to take over Kang's central role in the Multiverse Saga.

4. Letting Loki control everything that happens in the multiverse

For those who watched "Loki Season 2", must certainly aware that the God of Mischief now holds the key to the continuation of the multiverse in the MCU. This is because Loki's power is the only thing keeping various timeline branches alive after the Temporal Loom is destroyed.

So far, Loki only has the ability to keep the multiverse tree alive. However, Marvel could eventually give Loki the power to control everything that happens in the multiverse.

This could also be a solution to remove the character of Kang the Conqueror from the MCU following Jonathan Majors' dismissal. This is because Loki is aware of the threat of a multiversal war that could happen if a Kang the Conqueror Variant causes chaos. Therefore, Loki, with the ability to control the multiverse, could eliminate every Variant of Kang the Conqueror from various timelines to prevent war. After that, Marvel could follow the previous scenario, which is let other villain take over Kang's position in the Multiverse Saga.

5.  Shifting the focus of conflicts in phases four to six away from the multiversal theme

The reason behind making Kang the Conqueror the primary antagonist for phases four to six was because the MCU's intent to explore the multiverse saga. However, if in the middle of the latest MCU saga the theme is changed, of course Kang the Conqueror no longer needs to be the main villain.

There's a lot of potential conflict themes that could substitute the multiverse narrative, such as the dynamics within the mutant world, particularly the X-Men. This is supported by the gradual introduction of characters associated with the mutant universe in recent MCU projects. So, it could be that the multiverse conflict is replaced by a war between the Avengers and the X-Men in future MCU projects, or at least in the last two Avengers films which close MCU Phase 6.