What Happened To Kang: 5 MCU Theories About How Marvel Will Write Him Out

Kang is out, and Doom is in. That's how quickly things — even major multi-year storylines — can change in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans knew that Kevin Feige's grand plan would be undergoing some alterations after Jonathan Majors' highly publicized expulsion from the MCU, but very few would have predicted the solution now in motion: bringing back Robert Downey Jr. as beloved Marvel villain Victor von Doom.

The announcement certainly made a splash, as did the news that "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Endgame" directors Joe and Anthony Russo will return to helm "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Secret Wars." There are also a lot of questions, though. Understandably, some Marvel fans are worried about Downey playing Doctor Doom. The casting choice, while intriguing, could be seen as a desperate attempt at nostalgia-baiting a casual audience that's been less present in theaters since the end of the Infinity Saga. Then there's the racial component — a white actor playing a character who's always been Romani in the comics.

The other big question mark with the "Iron Man" star's return is what will become of Kang. Up until now, many suspected that Marvel would recast the role, which seemed simple enough given the character's multiversal nature. There are various Doctor Doom theories that could explain why Downey was cast beyond simple PR, but how will the franchise address Kang's sudden replacement after years of setup? Here are some theories.

Jonathan Majors has lamented Doctor Doom replacing Kang, which is occurring in the wake of him being found guilty of misdemeanor domestic assault, though he's also said he's excited to see Downey return as the iconic villain.

At the point when Disney ended its relationship with Majors, he'd featured prominently in two MCU projects: "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" and the Disney+ series "Loki." The former is one of the worst-reviewed Marvel Studios films ever. The latter is one of the franchise's best entries since the start of Phase 4, and it could also be the method for Marvel Studios to write Kang out of the MCU.

At the end of "Loki" Season 2, the former God of Mischief essentially replaces He Who Remains, a variant of Kang, as the one controlling the multiverse at the end of time. However, rather than keeping all divergent timelines pruned and tidy, Loki allows them to grow. In future MCU stories, we could learn that from this position of power, Loki prevented the rise of a Kang variant army. Or, alternatively, his new role might simply alter Kang's role within the multiverse, making him much less of a threat.

This would be an easy way to write Kang out, making the character more a piece of the larger multiverse story than a Thanos-level threat. And the fact that "Loki" is so popular would help more casual fans get the gist.

Another way Disney could handle Doctor Doom's introduction in the MCU is by connecting him directly to the previous villain's story, making him some kind of Kang variant. Some fans are already theorizing that this may be the case, and there's reason to believe Marvel could do it.

The biggest issue in switching to Doom is that for years, the MCU has been building up Kang. We never got a payoff with the character — no big Avengers movie where all the heroes unite to fight him, no great multiverse war. That was all supposed to come in "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" (which has since been renamed "Doomsday") and "Secret Wars." By making Downey's Doom a variant of Kang from some other timeline, Marvel could theoretically keep some of the narrative momentum they've spent so much time building and tie it all into the Doctor Doom storyline.

Frankly, though, this seems like a lot of work for very little reward. Part of the issue with the Multiverse Saga from the beginning is that it's just too complicated. Every new movie and show seemed to introduce more terminology and lore, but none of it tied together in clear, legible ways. Given the poor critical reviews and lackluster box office performances of projects like "Quantumania," Disney might be happy to wash its hands of the last couple years and just keep the characters and subplots people liked going forward.

Of course, there's still potential for Marvel to recast Kang and keep him relatively central to the ongoing story. Since the Avengers movie that bore his name has now been given to Doom, who's also confirmed to appear in "Secret Wars," he clearly won't be the franchise's main antagonist again, but he could play a smaller role with a new actor taking the lead.

Since the Multiverse doesn't seem to be going anywhere, this could be a long game, too. Maybe Kang vanishes for a while after being beaten by Ant-Man and quelled by Loki, only to return down the line somewhere when Marvel needs an established bad guy to fill time. Even before Majors' scandal broke, Kang was struggling to capture audience attention in the way that Thanos did. Maybe that's because every time we saw him, it was a different variant, and therefore a new character. Maybe he was just a little too silly. Whatever the reason, he'd probably work better as a more minor villain, playing backup or would-be rival to someone like Doctor Doom.

If Disney were to go this route, fans have already tossed around plenty of potential replacement names — actors like Colman Domingo and John Boyega. For now, at least, the full focus seems to be on Doom, but Kang could make a comeback at some point.

If you're a longstanding Marvel Comics fan, you'll know that at different times, Kang — aka Nathaniel Richards — has been a descendant of both Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) and Victor von Doom. In one timeline, Nathaniel even becomes a hero after learning the evil he will one day wreak as Kang. That hero is the Iron Lad, a Young Avengers Iron Man analog as whom Nathaniel fights on the side of good.

This complicated, muddled, multiversal history of the Kang character gives Marvel Studios some fun material to work with. Future films could pull out a new Kang variant with a different actor to stand against Doctor Doom, similar to how Iron Lad rejects his own heritage (or future, depending on how you look at it) in the comics. The fact that the former Iron Man actor is now the one playing Doom adds an additional layer. Maybe a Tony Stark variant becomes Kang in some other timeline, blending the characters together. Maybe Downey's Doom is only a placeholder version, waiting to be usurped by a more long-term villain in "Secret Wars."

This is perhaps the most speculative theory on this list, as the comics history is so complicated there's no telling what Disney would want to keep and what they'd throw out. But the idea of a heroic Kang variant wrapping up his story isn't out of the question. It's happened before.

Lastly, we look to perhaps the biggest film looming on Marvel's horizon — "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," which is scheduled for release in July 2025. Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the original Marvel superhero squad, the upcoming movie could be the jumpstart the MCU needs to shake off the doldrums of the last few years.

Galactus has already been confirmed as the film's big bad, played by Ralph Ineson. However, comic fans will know that both Kang the Conqueror and Doctor Doom are primarily Fantastic Four villains. With that in mind, the new film could be an ideal place to swap one baddie for another, tapping into Reed Richards' time-travel pedigree to wrap up the Kang arc and tease Doom's arrival.

While that could be a lot to fit into a movie that also has to introduce a bunch of new characters to the MCU, Marvel is known to hide setups and teasers wherever possible. A lot seems to be riding on "Fantastic Four: First Steps" right now because of its unique style, star-studded cast, and apparent independence from the larger franchise. That last quality could be jeopardized by a Kang/Doom plot entering the story too early, but we'll have to wait and see how it all shakes out.