Marvel's Avengers 5 Plans Could Hint Toward Kang's MCU Future After Jonathan Majors Exit

Jonathan Majors is no longer a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having been dropped by Marvel Studios on Monday after a Manhattan jury found him guilty of reckless assault. Though the Burbank-based studio has yet to reveal any potential changes the case will have on the MCU moving forward, a new trade report says the next Avengers title potentially has an internal name change at the Kevin Feige-based outfit.

Nestled away in THR's Majors firing report is a suggestion that Marvel Studios are no longer referring to the next Avengers picture as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty but rather simply Avengers 5. "In November, Marvel hired Loki creator Michael Waldron to work on a new draft of what was to have been Kang Dynasty, but is now being referred to as Avengers 5," the trade writes.

Story-wise, Marvel just wrapped up the second season of Loki, which left the eponymous Asgardian standing watch over the multiverse. Though Majors appeared in the series, he appeared as a Victor Timely, one of Kang's many variants. It's unclear if Marvel will keep Kang as the next saga's Big Bad and follow a similar route, simply explaining the recasting as another variant popping up.

That said, there's been growing speculation the House of Ideas could pivot away from Kang altogether largely thanks to the ending seen in Loki Season Two. If that's the case, one popular character many hope to see debut in the MCU is Dr. Doom, a character that served as the primary antagonist of Marvel's most recent Secret Wars event, the source material being adapted for the studio's sixth Avengers film.

Then there's the idea that instead of treating The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars like two parts to the same story à la Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios could opt to drop the former entirely. In its place, a potential Young Avengers film could surface given movie-goers know such a team-up is now in the works thanks to the closing moments of The Marvels.

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is currently set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026 while Avengers: Secret Wars will enter cinemas on May 7, 2027.