Marvel Has an Even Bigger Problem Than Jonathan Majors, 'Avengers' Writer Fired

No one said making an MCU movie would be easy. Most fans somewhat understand the extensive work that goes into making one scene, according to the drama surrounding the overworked VFX workers that have popped up over the last few years. However, the newest issues have everything to do with the story and how Marvel has not been delivering on its usual high-end filmmaking. One of the most criticized films in any phase so far is Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, which Jeff Loveness wrote. Loveness was meant to write Avengers: Kang Dynasty but has now been reportedly dumped.

The Jonathan Majors Problem

Related: Disney+ Updates the Overwhelmingly Confusing MCU Timeline with Ant-Man 3

Jeff Loveness has spoken about how the negative reviews for his film have affected him, and that’s not hard to imagine, as the internet and fans can be pretty cruel. However, the proverbial elephant in the room concerns Jonathan Majors.

Majors finally debuted as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, though he was initially introduced during Loki as a variant named “He Who Remains.” Though some might be confused about what exactly Kang is, the Multiverse can help to decipher this supervillain.

Kang is the result of many iterations of one man that have discovered the ability to time travel and traverse the many timelines of the Multiverse. There have been many variations of the villain in the comics, even one that becomes Doctor Doom and one that is Nathaniel Richards—Reed Richards’ father. Essentially, the Council of Kangs shown in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantmania is very comic-accurate. The mid-credits scene that also shows Immortus and Victor Timely is also factual. Many versions of one man can essentially be a completely different person in any given timeline.

For instance, one Kang variant travels back to ancient Egypt to become Pharaoh Rama-Tut, who is coincidentally Nathanial Richards. Considering that Nathaniel Richards could have eventually battled his own son when Fantastic Four was released would have been great, but there is one big issue.

The one glaring issue that cannot support the many ways that Marvel could have blended or pulled from Kang’s confusing yet exciting origin story is Jonathan Majors. Majors was arrested in March for assault and harassment after allegedly putting his hands on his then-girlfriend. Though the actor has maintained his innocence and has appeared in court once, Marvel has yet to decide on the man’s future.

The usual case is that Disney/Marvel quickly dumps anyone with any crimes remotely this terrible. Take Johnny Depp, for instance. He was let go immediately when Amber Heard named him her abuser. However, things have been slow going for Majors in terms of his being let go as Kang. There have been rumors that the MCU would be recasting the character, which wouldn’t be a big issue considering how the Multiverse functions.

However, Jonathan Majors’ Kang was likely part of a massive plan ala Thanos, which would have resulted in the man appearing in many shows and films that would come to a culminating point in Avengers: Kang Dynasty. With Majors being arrested and likely on the chopping block with Marvel, that puts a huge damper on this strategy, as he would have to be changed in partially every property he was planned for.

Marvel Reportedly Dumps Jeff Loveness

Jeff Sneider is an industry insider who generally has accurate information and who happens to share that information with the masses. His newest scoop comes from his Hot Mic Podcast, where he revealed that Loveness had been told that he was let go from writing Avengers: Kang Dynasty even before the WGA strike took place. Even more shocking is Sneider also revealed that Marvel would be completely “starting over” and finding a new writer.

Now, Marvel dumping Loveness could be because of the negative reception that Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania has received. That makes sense, but his departure could signal an even bigger problem.

Though Marvel has publicly stated that Jonathan Majors has been let go as Kang, the cogs could be spinning on that front. Should the MCU need to find a new big baddie for Phases 5 and 6, or recast Majors, Loveness’ script and carry-over ideas for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania would not make much sense.

Though he wrote in the many Kang variations like Immortus, Kang the Conqueror, and Victor Timely, those variations might be ignored moving forward as Marvel could rethink its entire strategy.

What Should Marvel Do Now?

Marvel has a bit of a conundrum to deal with. They can simply recast Jonathan Majors and hope fans forgive that he was an integral part in both Loki seasons and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, or they could allow Kang to fade into obscurity by bringing in another big baddie to take over as the new Avengers-level threat like Thanos was.

Doctor Doom would be a good choice here, considering he is the supervillain in Secret Wars. Doom could be introduced in the Fantastic Four film to be then the main force that all the MCU heroes must deal with. Doom is one of the most feared villains in the comics, and he becomes God Emperor Doom in Secret Wars as he tries to destroy the entire Multiverse.

If Marvel wants to follow the Jonathan Hickman-written comic series, implanting Doctor Doom as the big baddie of the MCU moving forward would be the right choice here. Fans have been begging to see Doom, and now would be the perfect time to bring him in.

Related: Marvel Shifts Focus to Another Villain as Studio Tries to Fix Its Kang Problem

Majors might not rebound from his arrest and potential conviction, and Marvel needs to move forward before appearing to “support” someone with such a heinous crime attached to their name. Should they finally decide to do so, it could mean that Kang will disappear into the abyss that is the Multiverse.

Do you think Marvel will change its Multiverse plan? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!