A new The Identity Of Ant-Man 3's Kang Variant Might've Been Confirmed
Kang Is Related To Reed Richards In The Comics
Before addressing the potential MCU twist that is coming, it is worth establishing that Kang is related to Reed Richards in the comics. Kang's real name is Nathaniel Richards, and he is a distant descendant of Reed Richards from the 30th century. He comes from a timeline where Reed's father, also named Nathaniel, brought peace to the timeline. This reality eventually paved the way for a new Nathaniel Richards to be born as Reed Richards' descendent. This connected Kang to the Fantastic Four significantly, as the multiverse-conquering villain revealed his relationship with Marvel's First Family.
While Nathaniel Richards does attempt to be a hero at first to avoid becoming Kang the Conqueror, he is only able to avoid his destiny for a short time. The MCU is already making changes to Kang's story by having him be trapped in the Quantum Realm, so there is no guarantee that Marvel Studios will make Kang related to Reed Richards. The Fantastic 4 movie and plans for the characters to the MCU make it more plausible, but the comics also have attempted to twist this connection in the past. That included making it appear as though Kang was related to Doctor Doom instead of Reed Richards.
The MCU’s Kang Could Be A Distant Relative To T’Challa
Instead of making Jonathan Majors' villain related to Reed Richards, the MCU's Kang could be related to T'Challa. Although Black Panther: Wakanda Forever confirmed that T'Challa died in the main MCU timeline following Chadwick Boseman's tragic ing in real life, the multiverse and time travel makes it possible for Kang to be a distant descendent of his bloodline. T'Challa and Kang the Conqueror are both brilliant, powerful, and leaders, so there is the potential that these shared qualities come from their connection to Wakanda's royal family and the Black Panther.
The MCU theory that Kang is Black Panther's relative noticeably comes after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever delivered a big surprise for T'Challa by giving him a son. The Phase 4 post-credits scene introduction for Toussaint is a tease that the MCU is willing to explore Black Panther's legacy and sets up a path for T'Challa specifically to have a lineage in the shared universe. The Black Panther mantle is currently carrying on with Shuri, but Kang could be a very distant descendent of the MCU's T'Challa or another version of Wakanda's ruler from the multiverse. Kang's Black Panther ties could also come through Killmonger since he is T'Challa's cousin.
While Kang being related to Reed Richards is not out of the question for the MCU, they are not yet established in this universe. Kang being related to T'Challa is a better fit for the MCU as it currently stands. Audiences are already familiar with T'Challa and Wakanda, so linking the new MCU villain to that corner of the universe is more natural than using Kang to set up the Fantastic Four. Such a reveal could work to expand the importance that the Black Panther franchise has in the larger story.
Kang Being Related To Black Panther Changes Wakanda’s MCU Future
If the MCU does reveal that Kang is related to Black Panther, it would significantly change Wakanda's future in the MCU. The nation is already poised to play a prominent role in the shared universe since multiple Black Panther Disney+ spinoffs are in development and Black Panther 3 is likely to happen. Characters like Shuri, M'Baku, Okoye, and Nakia are also primed to factor heavily into the rest of the Multiverse Saga. That creates a high probability that Kang will interact with the MCU's new Black Panther, Wakanda's new leader, and other Wakandans who were close to T'Challa. The familial connections that could exist would make those encounters more meaningful.
Kang being T'Challa's relative and having a connection to his country would also be an opportunity for the MCU to tease a future where Wakanda helped create one of the biggest villains in history. The focus on innovation could be responsible for some of Kang's technology being created. Meanwhile, the MCU could even build on Black Panther 2's tease of a war between Wakanda and the world. That could be a future that Kang comes from, one where the Avengers led an assault against his home country due to the brewing political conflict. Shuri and M'Baku would then be left to try and keep Wakanda from going down this path.
Jonathan Majors Could Play A Black Panther Variant In The MCU
Kang and T'Challa being related in the MCU would also open the door for Jonathan Majors to play a Black Panther variant in the future potentially. Marvel has already had him play two different versions of Kang, but neither of them has been a true hero. The twist would be an opportunity for the MCU to use a very different Kang variant who did not turn evil and became the latest person to take over the Black Panther mantle. This could happen in Avengers: Secret Wars and give the multiverse event film a great alternate version of the character that the rest of the Avengers would need to team up with.
Jonathan Majors playing the Black Panther variant in the MCU would also be an excellent way for the MCU to honor Chadwick Boseman's legacy. Majors and Boseman both appeared in Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods, which was one of Boseman's final roles before he ed. The Kang actor has repeatedly praised Boseman's work and the impact his career had on him. This included another one of Majors' movies, The Harder They Fall, having a touching tribute to Boseman. Kang's T'Challa family connection in the MCU would be another opportunity to link their careers.
