Summary
- The Avengers film is now being referred to as Avengers 5, potentially indicating a change in the role of Kang as a villain.
- The title change is currently internal and wasn't intended to be made public, so it's uncertain what it means for the movie's plot.
- It may be easier for Marvel Studios to recast Kang rather than introduce a new villain, as other projects in Phase 5 and 6 may have already been written with Kang's storyline in mind.
The MCU's Jonathan Major's accusations of assault and harassment came to light when he was arrested in March 2023. In the weeks and months after, several organizations and projects cut ties with Majors, though his tenure with Disney and Marvel Studios remained intact pending the actual verdict. However, Majors was found guilty on December 18 and almost immediately dropped by Disney. Now, it's unclear what will be done with Kang and his planned franchise future.
Marvel Studios is reportedly still moving forward with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, though it's unclear what exactly that means. While there was never much doubt that the movie would still happen, it's less clear if it will pivot to a new villain or simply recast Majors' Kang and move on as planned. However, a new report indicates that Kang's name has been dropped from Avengers 5 in internal communication at Marvel Studios.
Recasting Kang: 15 Actors Who Could Replace Jonathan Majors In The MCU
Recent updates strongly suggest that Marvel Studios will take the MCU's Kang the Conqueror in a direction that doesn't involve Jonathan Majors.
Avengers 5 New Title Isn't Official & Doesn't Mean Anything Yet
Kang Could Still Be Very Important To The Next Avengers Movie
According to a report from THR, the latest draft of the project formerly known as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is now simply being referred to as Avengers 5. This coincides with the movie getting a new writer in Michael Waldron, known in the MCU for his work co-creating Loki and writing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Of course, this could very well mean that the play is to either entirely write Kang out of the project or significantly diminish his role. However, it's simply too early to tell.
THR originally reported Avengers: The Kang Dynasty's title change in December 2023
Right now, the Avengers 5 title change is strictly internal and has only been made public due to "sources" of THR. No official title confirmation has followed. That isn't to diminish the likelihood of it being accurate, but it's clear that neither Disney nor Marvel Studios planned for the change in parlance to be public. At this point, it's premature to make sweeping claims about what the tweak means, and it's entirely possible that the movie will regain the same subtitle or something similar once the script is rewritten.
10 MCU Stories Avengers 5 Can Focus On Now That It's Dropped Kang From Its Title
Reports suggest that Avengers 5 is no longer called "The Kang Dynasty," which suggests that the MCU is looking at other stories to focus on.
Report Suggests Marvel Were Moving Away From Kang After Quantumania's Box Office Failure
Is The Kang Dynasty Already Over...?
THR's latest reports on Marvel's current creative course correction includes a line on the studio intending to minimize Kang's involvement even before Jonathan Majors was convicted and subsequently fired from his MCU projects:
The first of the new Avengers movies, due out in 2026, was initially titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty but will be getting a new title to remove the character’s name, though sources say that even before Majors’ conviction, the studio was making moves to minimize the character after Quantumania underperformed, grossing $476 million.
Given the fact that Marvel apparently changed plans to focus more on Kang after seeing Majors' performance in Loki season 1, this story has come full circle. That it adds something of a note of instability to a project as important as an Avengers movie is distasteful at best. These are billion dollar properties, and they need to be treated right: as a positive, Marvel apparently heeding the warning of lower interest in Kang and minimizing his involvement should be heralded as good news.
Short of Kang getting The Simpsons' "Poochie" treatment, an MCU project has to add the full-stop to the Kang dynasty.
The problem now - if Kang isn't going to be the main focus - is how Marvel wrap up Kang's story. Quantumania's post-credits scene introduced the Council of Kangs, seemingly free to seek dominion of the multiverse after He Who Remains' death. Even with Loki season 2 establishing a new TVA with the Kangs in their cross-hairs, there has to be some resolution to their plan. Short of Kang getting The Simpsons' "Poochie" treatment, an MCU project has to add the full-stop to the Kang dynasty.
Title Changes Aren't New For The MCU
Marvel Has A Track Record Of Changing Their Project Names
If the idea of Marvel Studios changing the name of one of its projects after its announcement seems problematic or a sign of trouble, it shouldn't. A few MCU movies and shows have had their names publicly changed well after being revealed, not to mention the countless iterations of names every movie and show goes through behind the scenes. Sometimes, title changes are due to a shift in focus as a script evolves; other times, it's done with the goal of improving marketing, or a new title might just sound better.
Recently, two MCU projects have undergone title changes well after the project's announcement, and neither seems to be a result of their projects changing focus or content in a major way. The WandaVision spin-off featuring Agatha Harkness has undergone so many title changes it's become a meme. First announced as Agatha: House of Harkness, the Disney+ TV show was then rebranded as Agatha: Coven of Chaos. Most recently, the series has been retitled Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. Similarly, Captain America: New World Order was renamed Captain America: Brave New World, likely to avoid associations with anti-Semitic conspiracy theories referred to by the first subtitle.
Recasting & Continuing On With Kang Is Still Easier For Marvel Studios Right Now
Even with the suggestion that Kang will be sidelined, of Marvel's two options - recasting Kang or pivoting away from the villain entirely - the former certainly seems easier to implement smoothly. Kang may only have appeared in one feature film so far (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), but he's also starred in two seasons one Loki, though neither has many dangling plot threads outside the introduction of the Council of Kangs. However, it's likely that each other MCU Phase 5 and 6 movies have been written with Avengers 5 in mind to some degree. While some of those projects likely have little to do with the MCU's larger narrative, others will presumably further Kang's overarching story.
Recasting Kang may be challenging with the role's new baggage, but right now, it seems easier to continue with that character than close his story prematurely and altogether.
The other problem is that changing Avengers 5 to focus to a new villain now risks rushing the new antagonist's story. Doctor Doom is a popular Kang replacement choice after a report indicated Marvel Studios already considered swapping him in, but a character like Doom is immensely popular and nuanced in his own right. Using him as a filler may mean Doom - or whoever else is used - doesn't get the fully developed narrative they deserve. Recasting Kang may be challenging with the role's new baggage, but right now, it seems easier to continue with that character than close his story prematurely and altogether.
