Credit: Marvel StudiosThe Marvel Cinematic Universe is entering a new chapter, and not without a few lingering questions about the one it’s leaving behind.
With Phase Six now underway following the Fantastic Four’s arrival last summer, Marvel Studios is pursuing its long-term roadmap. The headline-grabbing reveal that Robert Downey Jr. will return to the franchise–this time as Victor Von Doom, better known as Doctor Doom–has reshaped the Multiverse Saga in a major way. And in doing so, it has reignited conversation about the villain who was once positioned to define it: Kang the Conqueror.
For a franchise that reigned supreme in the wake of Avengers: Endgame (2019), the years since have been a mixed bag. While Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) delivered strong box office returns, other entries have struggled to hit the heights once considered routine for Marvel. Captain America: Brave New World (2025) and Thunderbolts* (2025) underperformed compared to expectations, prompting broader discussions about franchise fatigue and creative direction.
Complicating matters further was the legal controversy surrounding Jonathan Majors, who portrayed Kang in multiple MCU projects. Once slated to be the next overarching antagonist, Majors exited the franchise after being charged by his ex-partner, Grace Jabbari, who accused him of battery, assault, malicious prosecution, and defamation. The fallout forced Marvel to reconsider its plans at a critical juncture.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that Anthony and Joe Russo would return to helm Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which are set for December 2026 and 2027 releases. The announcement also signaled a shift in narrative focus. The Kang Dynasty arc was scrapped, and Doctor Doom was positioned as the saga’s new central threat.
Downey’s casting marked one of the most surprising moments in Marvel history. The actor, who earned an Oscar for Oppenheimer (2023), stepped onto the Comic-Con stage to reveal his reinvention as Victor Von Doom–a dramatic pivot from his defining run as Tony Stark.
Though Marvel has kept details under wraps, Doom made a brief appearance in the post-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), teasing a larger role to come. As anticipation builds around his full introduction, questions remain about whether Kang has been permanently written out or simply sidelined.
Audiences last encountered Kang through his Variant, Victor Timely, in Loki Season 2. Prior to that, he faced off against Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). The character’s fate has been left conspicuously open-ended.
In conversations with members of the press, Feige addressed speculation that Marvel’s pivot was solely a reaction to Majors’ legal issues. According to the studio chief, discussions about Doctor Doom predated the controversy.
“We had started even before what had happened to the actor happened, we had started to realize that Kang wasn’t big enough, wasn’t Thanos, and that there was only one character that could be that, because he was that in the comics for decades and decades,” Feige said, per The Hollywood Reporter.
“Because of the Fox acquisition, we finally had it, and it was Dr. Doom. So we had started talking about Dr. Doom even before we officially pivoted from Kang,” he continued. “And in fact, I had started talking with Robert [Downey Jr.] about this audacious idea before Ant-Man 3 even came out. It was a long plan that we had, to take one of our greatest characters and utilize one of our greatest actors.”
Months after his departure from the MCU, Majors himself addressed the possibility of returning. In an interview with The Sun U.S. in September 2025, the actor avoided giving a definitive answer but left the door slightly ajar.
“I cannot say anything about that,” Majors said when pressed on the subject. “Well, it’s a Multiverse, so there’s always that. Always a lot of opportunity for that.”
The comment was brief, but in a franchise built on alternate timelines and Variants, it was enough to spark renewed chatter. Majors added that he was “very glad” to know some fans would welcome his return. Back in April 2025, he expressed similar enthusiasm about potentially collaborating with Marvel again.
“Yeah, of course I say yes. Disney, Marvel Studios, I love them. Tom Hiddleston; loved working with that guy. Loved working with Paul Rudd. Loved working with Gugu Mbatha-Raw,” Majors said.
Jonathan Majors Returns to Filming
Jonathan Majors has kicked off production on his first film in years, marking a notable step in his career resurgence after his high-profile legal troubles and being dropped from major Hollywood projects; according to Deadline, the Creed III (2023) and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star is filming an untitled action movie this week in South Carolina, produced by The Daily Wire and Bonfire Legend with Run Hide Fight (2020) filmmaker Kyle Rankin directing, in what represents his return to work following his 2023 conviction and subsequent absence from the big screen.
The media company, co-founded by Ben Shapiro and Jeremy Boreing and partnered here with producer Dallas Sonnier’s Bonfire Legend, has produced films and series featuring actors like Gina Carano, who starred in 2022’s Terror on the Prairie after her exit from The Mandalorian, signaling a pattern of embracing talent sidelined by mainstream Hollywood.
The untitled action movie Majors is filming in South Carolina–written and directed by Rankin–is being kept under wraps, but is described as evoking the spirit of classic ’80s and ’90s action fare.
Whether Marvel would consider revisiting Kang, now that Majors is back making films, remains unclear. The studio’s focus is firmly on Doom and the Fantastic Four, but the Multiverse framework offers narrative flexibility few franchises possess.
As Marvel retools its Multiverse Saga with Doctor Doom poised to take center stage, Kang’s legacy hangs in the balance. The studio appears committed to its new direction, but in a universe where timelines fracture and realities collide, few doors are ever fully closed.
How do you feel about the fallout from the Kang the Conqueror situation? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!