A new report claimed that Marvel Studios changed the initial plans to have Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness write the script of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Loveness' involvement with Avengers 5 was first reported in September 2022 when it was reported that he was tapped to pen the film's script. The Rick & Morty scribe was clearly excited about his hiring, often taking to social media in the weeks after to joke about his gig.
In April 2023, Loveness admitted that "it’s almost comedic how hard" the challenge is to put together the film that will follow up Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
This is on top of the fact that Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors is currently embroidered with controversy after being arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman in March 2023.
Is Ant-Man 3's Jeff Loveness Still Attached to Write Avengers 5?
In the latest episode of the House of R podcast, The Ringer's Joanna Robinson reported that Marvel Studios is changing their development plans for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, with Ant-Man 3 writer Jeff Loveness now "no longer working" on the project and for Marvel Studios altogether.
Robinson said that the reasoning behind his exit is the fact that "he was all wrapped up in this Kang storyline" and Marvel is reportedly "moving away" from that one:
I got it confirmed to me that [Jeff Loveness] was no longer working for Marvel [Studios] and then I asked the person why. And they said that the reason why is that he was all wrapped up in this Kang storyline and they are likely moving away from that.
In May 2023, rumors began to swirl that Loveness was no longer attached as the writer of Avengers 5 after a scoop from insider Jeff Sneider spread online.
Why Jeff Loveness Is Exiting Avengers 5
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania received a mixed reception from fans and critics, with some pointing out that the characters had unsatisfying journeys and it involved too much MCU exposition.
The Ringer's Joanna Robinson's claim that Loveness exited Marvel Studios due to the fact that he was "wrapped up" in Kang's storyline may suggest that the MCU could be veering away from that arc and instead focus on other big bads.
The ongoing controversy circling around Majors appears to be a difficult hurdle to go through for Marvel Studios. In fact, Loki Season 2 executive producer Kevin Wright even described the actor's current situation as "complicated."
At this point, though, it is unknown what lies ahead for the MCU's Multiverse Saga. Whether Loveness' exit is the first domino to fall in order to have a clean slate for Avengers 5's story remains to be seen.
Despite that, many would agree that Marvel Studios has all the necessary tools to bounce back and fix the issues in order for the Multiverse Saga to have an impactful ending in the coming years.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is set to premiere in theaters on May 1, 2026.
