Report: 'Avengers 5's Replaced Storyline Gets Revealed as Main Character Cut From MCU

With Avengers 5 now scrapped as we know it, just what had Marvel Studios got in store for audiences?

Marvel Studios is shaking things up in a major way. After years of uncertainty following the record-breaking success of Avengers: Endgame (2019), the Marvel Cinematic Universe is undergoing a dramatic shift—one that sees the departure of Kang the Conqueror and the arrival of a legendary villain in his place.

Despite the blockbuster success of films like Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), the MCU has struggled to maintain its once-unmatched dominance at the box office. Outside of last summer’s Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), fan excitement has cooled, and the franchise’s future has seemed increasingly uncertain. Even Captain America: Brave New World (2025) failed to make a significant splash at the box office.

A major stumbling block came in the form of Jonathan Majors, who was originally positioned as the next big antagonist following Thanos. Majors’ portrayal of Kang the Conqueror was meant to anchor the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, but his legal troubles derailed those plans. His ex-partner, Grace Jabbari, filed a lawsuit accusing him of battery, assault, malicious prosecution, and defamation, ultimately leading to his dismissal from Marvel Studios.

In response, Marvel has pivoted away from Kang and set its sights on another classic villain: Victor Von Doom, better known as Doctor Doom. At last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced that Anthony and Joe Russo would return to direct Avengers: Doomsday—formerly titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty—and Avengers: Secret Wars, slated for release in May 2026 and 2027, respectively. The sudden shift from Kang to Doom has left fans wondering how it will reshape the MCU’s overarching narrative.

However, the biggest bombshell wasn’t Doom’s introduction—it was the actor set to play him. Robert Downey Jr., who famously portrayed Tony Stark/Iron Man, is officially returning to the MCU, but this time as its newest villain. The Oppenheimer (2023) star is making the switch from hero to adversary, a casting decision that has sent shockwaves through the fanbase. Downey Jr. is expected to debut as Doctor Doom in a post-credits scene for The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).

As for Kang, his future remains uncertain. The last time fans saw a Variant of the time-traveling villain, Victor Timely, was in Loki Season 2 on Disney+. Prior to that, Kang’s original incarnation faced off against Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). With Marvel now turning its attention to Doom, it appears Kang’s time as the MCU’s primary antagonist is over.

There has been no official word on how Marvel will handle Kang moving forward, but speculation continues to swirl. Academy Award-nominated actor Colman Domingo (Rustin, Sing Sing) has been rumored to take over the role. While Domingo confirmed that he and his team have met with Marvel Studios, he stated that it was not for any specific role.

Whether Kang resurfaces in some capacity remains to be seen—after all, the Council of Kangs was introduced in Quantumania—but one thing is certain: Avengers: Doomsday is already shaping up to be a game-changer for the MCU. With Doom stepping into the spotlight and multiple characters confirmed for the 2026 blockbuster, fans are eagerly awaiting what’s next for Marvel’s ever-evolving cinematic universe.

Earlier this week, Marvel Studios made a historic casting announcement for Avengers: Doomsday over the course of a multi-hour stream. In it, Kevin Feige’s studio revealed the 20+ strong cast of the Russo Brothers’ upcoming movie.

The current Avengers: Doomsday cast is as follows: Robert Downey Jr. as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy/Beast, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, James Marsden as Scott Summers/Cyclops, and Chris Hemsworth as Thor.

Also cast are Channing Tatum as Remy LeBeau/Gambit, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres/Falcon, Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Lewis Pullman as “Bob”/Sentry, Rebecca Romijn as Raven Darkhölme/Mystique, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/Professor X, and Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler.

And rounding out the roster will be David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America, Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/Thing.

It’s clear the plan is set and it will be quite different from the original Kang Dynasty concept; even with Majors saying he would want to return to the franchise, it’s unlikely he won’t following his legal controversies. That said, may still wonder what The Kang Dynasty would have brought to the MCU, and now, new reports seemingly reveal the initial plan back when creatives like Destin Daniel Cretton and Michael Waldron were attached.

“According to [Alex Perez], separate Avengers teams set out to battle Immortus, Centurion, and Rama-Tut, the three Kang Variants teased at the end of Quantumania,” Comic Book Movie reports. “However, the Conqueror Variant was going to return from “The Beyond” in the third act to take revenge against his doppelgangers and become He Who Remains.”

“It’s said that Doctor Doom was never part of Marvel Studios’ original plans for the two-part Multiverse Saga finale; instead, he–and others–were to be revealed as being among those removed from the timeline by Kang to ensure they could thrive,” the outlet added. “However, once those Variants had been defeated, Doom was teased as the “evil” they were trying to keep at bay with their actions.”

This then seemingly reveals that Doctor Doom was set to be the new Big Bad after Thanos and Kang, most likely appearing as the main and overarching antagonist in–what some believe to be called–the upcoming Mutant Saga. The addition of Fox’s universe of X-Men characters in Doomsday signals that is where the MCU is headed next–but also suggests that they could be wiped out just like the Fox heroes in Shawn Levy’s Deadpool movie last year.

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are also different from the previous installments of Avengers movies, with the Russo Brothers calling them a “new beginning.” Whereas the likes of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame were closing chapters of Phases One through Three, the fifth and sixth installments have been confirmed to launch something new.

But would it have been a new beginning if Kang was still present? Fans will likely never know.

How do you feel about the original plan of Avengers 5? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!