Kang the Conqueror's next Marvel appearance just got confirmed, and his new redesign looks nothing like disgraced star Jonathan Majors. In kickstarting the Multiverse Saga, Marvel Studios had a tough task of choosing Avengers 5's next villain to fill the void left by Thanos. That role was once planned to fall to Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror and his endless Variants, who were teed up in Disney+'s Loki and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
Sadly, not only did Kang's big-screen debut fail to land with audiences, but, in the same month, Majors was arrested for assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Upon his eventual conviction, Majors was fired, and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty pivoted to become Doomsday, starring Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. The Fantastic Four villain will now serve as both Avengers 5's main antagonist and character as a whole, similarly to Thanos' role in Infinity War.
Kang hasn't been seen on screen since Loki Season 2 premiered in 2023 during Majors' trial and ahead of his assault conviction. Now, a new version of Kang is officially coming to the Marvel: Future Fight mobile game, with the controversial actor's likeness erased for this latest adaptation.
The mobile game's new Kang stands before the Egyptian pyramids and a high-tech Sphynx as an adaptation of Rama-Tut. This particular Variant of Nathaniel Richards travelled back thousands of years to use his futuristic technology to seize power in Ancient Egypt and become Pharaoh Rama-Tut.
Rama-Tut was one member of the Council of Kangs introduced to the MCU, where, much like all the others, he was played by Majors. Many have speculated that he would have played a larger role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, as Earth's Mightiest Heroes are divided across the Multiverse to fight the infinite Kangs.
Future Fight abandoning Majors' likeness may not initially seem significant, given that it is simply a mobile game with no direct connection to the MCU. But, when Kang joined the roster in August 2023, Future Fight touted how his introduction was "inspired by" his role in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
For context, Majors' initial arrest came in March 2023, the same month that he made his theatrical MCU debut in the Ant-Man threequel. The actor wasn't formally convicted until December 2023, on the same day that he was promptly fired by Marvel Studios before plans for Avengers 5 pivoted.
There's no denying that the playable time-travelling villain clearly poached his likeness from the MCU. The suit was all but identical, his powers were portrayed with the same blue glow, and the face model is clearly based on Majors.
Nowadays, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige won't even refer to Majors by name in interviews and has since revealed surprising details surrounding the character's exit. While fans once thought the decision was solely based on Marvel's controversy, Feige confirmed they had already realized that "Kang wasn't big enough" before Quantumania disappointed. In fact, the studio had already started talking to Robert Downey Jr. about playing Doctor Doom behind the scenes, whilst fans still thought Kang was the Multiverse Saga's future.
Will Marvel Studios Ever Bring Back Kang Without Jonathan Majors?
Marvel: Future Fight's Kang redesign marks a clear effort to re-separate Jonathan Majors' image from the time-traveling villain. Once the memory of Majors' performance as the character has worn off for most in several years, one has to wonder if the MCU could take another stab at the popular baddie.
The MCU already has the perfect avenue to bring Kang the Conqueror back into the fray after Avengers: Secret Wars ushers in a soft reboot of the franchise, allowing him to reemerge with a new actor going forward.
There were once rumors that Kang could be recast for Avengers 5, but Marvel Studios instead abandoned the character altogether. Of course, Majors' controversy was just one factor in that decision, as fans also weren't responding to the villain on the levels of Thanos, prompting the shift to Doctor Doom.
If Kang was reintroduced in live-action after Secret Wars, it would likely be as a one-off villain in a movie or Disney+ show, such as a sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The studio likely wouldn't consider placing an entire saga or Avengers blockbuster on his back again, even if it was executed better.
Read more about Kang's 2026 MCU return that may or may not still happen.
