Marvel Reportedly Looked At Replacing Jonathan Majors' Kang With Other Villain, Like Dr Doom After Arrest

There was almost a time when Marvel Studios considered replacing Kang the Conqueror with Doctor Doom as the central villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the actor's arrest. It's a turbulent time for Marvel Studios on the movies and TV front. A host of movie projects keep getting their release dates pushed back, their visual effects have garnered criticism, and some Disney+ streaming shows have axed their writers and gone back to the drawing board. But perhaps the studio's biggest concern is what to do with Jonathan Majors, who has appeared as Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Seasons 1 and 2 of Loki. Majors is due to go on trial in New York for domestic violence charges, leaving Marvel in a pickle regarding what to do with his character. According to a new report, one option that was explored was replacing Majors' Kang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with another popular villain: Doctor Doom.

Variety released an eye-opening feature on the current state of Marvel, which included discussions on reshoots for The Marvels and bringing back the original Avengers cast. The article mentioned how Marvel's brain trust met in September for an annual retreat. Reportedly, the most pressing topic at the retreat was Jonathan Majors' arrest and trial, and how they affect the MCU. One of the backup plans reportedly broached was moving away from Kang to focus on Doctor Doom instead. The only problem with that is how entrenched Kang already is to Marvel's plans, which include a reportedly big role in the Season 2 finale of Loki, leading to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty in 2026.

Disney moves Jonathan Majors film off release schedule

When Disney changed the release dates for a number of its films, it also included the Jonathan Majors-led Magazine Dreams by Searchlight. Magazine Dreams was slated for a December 8th release, but now does not have a firm date in place. The uncertainty around the actors' strike coupled with Majors's own legal case probably helped prompt this decision.

For Disney, this is slightly surprising as just a few short months ago it felt like they had an awards contender on their hands. Majors was at the height of fame and only had his profile building with turns in Devotion, Lovecraft Country, and Creed III. The later movie dominated at the box office and everything was looking up. However, a minor theatrical stumble with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and the domestic violence trial getting ready to start have changed the entire conversation. So, for now, that movie remains in a bit of limbo.

Marvel Studios fan-favorite Tom Hiddleston stars in Loki Season 2, returning as the titular God of Mischief for another round of time-traveling hijinx on Disney+ on October 6th. Loki is once again joined by Mobius (Owen Wilson) as the two attempt to keep the timelines intact. After the events of Season 1 saw his variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) kill He Who Remains and unleash the wrath of Kang the Conqueror upon the Multiverse, Loki must once again embark on an adventure to keep reality from collapsing. Loki was last seen in the post-credits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, where he and Mobius were keeping tabs on one of Kang's mysterious variants. Loki Season 2 will continue the story of the Multiverse Saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.