Marvel Studios officially abandoned an important reveal about Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania by surprising fans with the inclusion of a major character in X-Men '97 Season 2. Jonathan Majors' Kang was poised to become the Multiverse Saga's big bad, appearing in Loki Seasons 1 and 2 and Quantumania to set up his role as a conquering time-traveler with countless variants. However, plans changed when Majors' MCU stint ended abruptly due to legal issues, with Marvel Studios pivoting to Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom as the endgame villain for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Following Majors' departure from the role of Kang the Conqueror, Marvel Studios is clearly not done yet with the time-traveling villain, as X-Men '97 Season 2 is confirmed to include Rama-Tut, a Kang Variant, as a key antagonist tied to En Sabah Nur's (aka Apocalypse) origin.
X-Men '97 Season 2, Episode 3 heavily featured Rama Tut as an overarching threat that forces a strange alliance between the X-Men members stuck in the past and En Sabah Nur, who is spearheading a rebellion against the tyrannical ruler's cruelty.
This version of Rama-Tut is clearly not played by Jonathan Majors. Instead, Star Trek: The Next Generation actor John de Lancie now brings Kang to life in X-Men '97 Season 2, completely retconning a major Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania decision that every Kang Variant in the MCU Multiverse looks exactly like Majors.
What makes this version of Rama-Tut a clear pivot from Jonathan Majors' version seen in Quantumania's post-credits scene is that the character's design draws directly from Marvel Comics, showcasing a green-helmeted, caped pharaoh with a commanding presence.
Rama-Tut's design in X-Men '97 Season 2 stands in stark contrast to Majors' live-action version from Quantumania's post-credits sequence, who was showcased in high-tech purple-and-black armor that emphasized his status as a modern warlord.
Marvel clearly made a deliberate decision to make the animated Rama-Tut distinct from Jonathan Majors' version, allowing X-Men '97 to honor the villain's deep comic roots while distancing the MCU's animated branch from the live-action portrayal, whose actor was marred by controversies.
As Marvel Studios continues to distance itself from the issues surrounding Jonathan Majors, having a complete redesign of a major Kang Variant like Rama-Tut signals a clear strategic evolution.
Rather than completely abandoning the character, Marvel Studios is selectively preserving and reimagining elements of the Kang mythos in ways that serve individual projects like X-Men '97.
As a result, Rama-Tut integrates seamlessly into the animated show's deep dive into Apocalypse's origin, completely raising the stakes without carrying the baggage of what the live-action Multiverse Saga has established with Kang as a character.
New episodes of X-Men '97 Season 2 premiere every Wednesday on Disney+.
Why Marvel Studios' Latest Jonathan Majors' Recast Is More Important Than You Think
Marvel Studios' recasting of Rama-Tut in X-Men '97 Season 2 is more important than fans think because it demonstrates the studio's poise and forward-looking strategy for handling controversies after a major setback involving the actor.
By featuring a completely different Rama-Tut (appearance and voice) in Marvel Animation, this is clearly Marvel's way of telling fans that Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror is no more and truly dead, and Kang Variants can exist independently without him. This is important because it prevents the entire concept from being retired due to real-world issues.
Aside from quietly sidelining all Kang elements related to Majors, heavily featuring Rama-Tut in X-Men '97 Season 2 respects the comics' deep lore while turning one of the MCU's greatest missteps into a genuine asset.
Rama-Tut's prominence in the animated space proves Marvel Studios can course-correct with creativity and deep exploration rather than hitting the panic button. The post-Majors era of the MCU isn't defined solely by loss and controversy; instead, Marvel embraces redemption through new narrative paths for the character. If anything, this only proves that great characters endure beyond any single casting decision.
