The MCU is bringing back a Kang the Conqueror villain with no Jonathan Majors in sight. Marvel Studios once charted the Multiverse Saga with Majors' Kang at the heart of it all, but he only racked up three appearances across two seasons of Loki and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. That was unfortunately cut off when Majors was arrested, leading to his firing from the MCU and to Kang's replacement by Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom as the Avengers' next big bad. Since then, naturally, Kang hasn't been seen again in the MCU, especially as Ant-Man 3 established that all of the conqueror's Variants are played by Majors.
Marvel Animation recently debuted X-Men '97 Season 2's first trailer ahead of its Disney+ premiere on Wednesday, July 1. Beyond bringing back the familiar cast of X-Men superheroes, the animated series offered a glimpse of Rama-Tut, a Variant of Kang the Conqueror who will appear but not be played by Jonathan Majors.
Those familiar with Kang's history will be well aware that Rama-Tut is a guise he used to travel back in time and rule Ancient Egypt as a pharaoh. The Kang Variant has been entangled in stories involving X-Men '97 Season 2's villain, Apocalypse, before, even attempting to raise the first mutant as his heir.
The Egyptian Variant was one of three major Kangs introduced in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania's mid-credits scene (alongside Immortus and Centurion) and was reportedly integral to Marvel Studios' original Avengers 5 plans. Three years have already gone by since Rama-Tut debuted in Quantumania, and many thought he would never be seen again, until he re-emerged in X-Men '97's trailer.
Even from behind, it's clear that Rama-Tut looks very different in X-Men '97, although it may be a completely different Variant to the one seen among the Council of Kangs. This isn't even the first time that Marvel redesigned Rama-Tut to abandon Majors, as the Future Fight mobile game gave him the same treatment.
X-Men '97's fired showrunner, Beau DeMayo, once confirmed that a Kang Variant was part of his original Season 2 plans. Furthermore, DeMayo had intended to use the MCU's Kang actor, Jonathan Majors, until his firing, at which point he chose Star Trek: The Next Generation's Q actor, John de Lancie, to replace him, although it's unclear whether he is still attached all this time later.
What Is Jonathan Majors Doing As Marvel Studios Moves Forward?
Jonathan Majors was fired from Marvel Studios in December 2023 after he was found guilty of third-degree assault and second-degree harassment. Months later in April 2024, the former Kang actor avoided jail time and was sentenced to probation, along with a 52-week domestic violence intervention program.
Since he was first accused of assault by his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, Majors formed a new relationship with Shazam actress Meagan Good in May 2023, became engaged in November 2024, and quietly tied the knot in March 2025.
This year, Majors started filming his first new movie in four years, reportedly Kyle Rankin's Run Hide Fight Infidels, produced by Ben Shapiro's The Daily Wire and inspired by '80s and '90s action moves like Toy Soldiers. He has also been signed on Martin Villeneuve's Merciless since June 2024, in which he is expected to play a top CIA investigator, and he recently joined Mark Brown’s political thriller Dinner at Nick’s, set across a single dinner after the 2024 U.S. election.
Will the MCU's Kang Continue Without Jonathan Majors Beyond X-Men '97?
Even though Majors has managed to pick up limited Hollywood roles since his arrest, Disney will almost certainly never backtrack on its decision and allow him to re-enter the MCU as Kang or any other character. That only becomes more certain now that X-Men '97 will likely introduce a new Kang actor, possibly John de Lancie, backtracking on Ant-Man 3's confirmation that every Varaint was played by Majors.
While Kang's story once seemed to be abandoned by Marvel Studios, Rama-Tut's inclusion in X-Men '97 suggests that door may not be as firmly shut as once thought. Perhaps the Council of Kangs thread could one day be resolved in animation or a smaller-scale MCU project with another actor, but, for the time being, X-Men '97's use of Rama-Tut will probably be completely unrelated.
Presumably, just as Doomsday is placing Robert Downey Jr. and his Doctor Doom at the heart of its marketing campaign, The Kang Dynasty would have promoted itself similarly, centering around Jonathan Majors' Kang. The MCU sequel was expected to use Kang as its main "protagonist," but the marketing and narrative could have grown confusing due to the many Majors Variants involved.
Between his expanding MCU role as Kang, his introduction into the RockyVerse as boxing baddie Dame in Creed III, and the strong reactions to his bodybuilder drama Magazine Dreams that one deamed his performance Oscar-worthy, Majors' career was riding high before his arrest. One can only imagine where his career could have landed with the extra boost from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
