Bombshell reports regarding Marvel and the MCU have indicated that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty may be canceled – here’s what’s really going on.
Summary
- Recent events have raised doubts about the future of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and whether it has been canceled. The departure of director Destin Daniel Cretton and potential changes to the movie’s direction suggest a possible overhaul.
- Marvel may be moving away from the Kang storyline, as indicated by the switch in writers and the reconsideration of Kang’s impact after his underwhelming debut. The possibility of pivoting to a different villain is becoming more likely.
- If Kang is dropped from Avengers 5, Marvel could replace him with another iconic villain like Doctor Doom. They have the opportunity to rework the story and potentially introduce the Young Avengers in their own movie, establishing them as central figures before the Multiverse Saga concludes.
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Recent events within Marvel have left a huge question mark hanging over what’s going on with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and whether the first (and penultimate) Avengers movie of the Multiverse Saga has been canceled. Unlike MCU Phases 1 and 2, which were punctuated by Avengers movies, the MCU has taken a different route in the Multiverse Saga by confining the two Avengers team-up movies to Phase 6 alone. This means the fifth and sixth Avengers movies will have significant run-ups that the MCU hasn’t seen before.
The MCU Phase 4 lineup primarily comprised introductory movies for the newest iteration of the Avengers with nary a mention of Kang the Conqueror. Only one Kang variant appeared in the Loki Disney Plus series, while MCU Phase 5’s Season 2 featured Victor Timely. It was then in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantummania that Kang appeared in earnest before being summarily defeated by the titular heroes. Despite this, Kang’s presence has been established – but he may no longer be the Multiverse Saga’s main villain.
Related: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty – New Avengers Cast, Story Details & Everything We Know
Avengers 5 Lost Its Director But Isn’t Canceled
Questions over the fate of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty have been stoked recently over the surprise departure of the movie’s Director, Destin Daniel Cretton, from the project. While a change of director may signal significant changes to the movie, that doesn’t mean that the project has ground to a halt. The change could be explained by Cretton’s focus being on other projects, such as Shang-Chi 2, about which there is still little information. What could be likely, however, is that Cretton’s departure heralds an overhaul of the movie’s overall direction. For what it’s worth, Cretton parted ways with the project amicably, according to reports via Deadline.
Cretton leaving the project isn’t the only thing that places Avengers: The Kang Dynasty‘s fate in jeopardy, however. The ongoing legal battle for Kang actor Jonathan Majors is another problem for Marvel to navigate as the Multiverse Saga ramps up. It is important to note that, until a verdict is reached, Majors’ involvement in the MCU could continue, something which Loki Executive Producer Kevin Wright made clear when addressing the situation before Loki’s final Season. Regardless, there is still a distinct possibility that Marvel is pivoting from Kang entirely.
Marvel May Be Moving Away From The Kang Storyline
Cretton’s exit comes at the same time as Marvel reportedly switched up the writer for The Kang Dynasty. According to reports, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantummania‘s Jeff Loveness may leave the project due to being “wrapped up in [the] Kang storyline,” which may no longer be the focus. That is, at least, according to reports from insiders that lend credence to the bombshell revelation first detailed in a report by Variety about behind-the-scenes chaos at Marvel. Now that Cretton and Loveness have both reportedly moved on from the project, rumors surrounding the MCU’s pivot from Kang are looking more likely than ever.
The possibility doesn’t arrive solely due to Majors’ legal situation, however. After the sub-par performance from the first movie in which he appeared, Marvel may be reconsidering how much of an impact he would have as the ultimate big bad of the Multiverse. Though it might seem premature to reconsider the entirety of the MCU arc based on this one cinematic appearance alone, the move from Kang to another villain wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. There is, after all, another iconic Marvel villain waiting in the wings to become front and center by the time Phase 6 draws to a close.
What Happens To Avengers 5 If Kang Is Dropped From The MCU
It has only been a year since Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was announced as the fifth Avengers movie’s title. It is also not set to release until the Summer of 2026, which means there is still a huge gulf of time before Kang is supposed to make his big move. That gap may have also been extended by the effects of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, which have only just come to an end and caused a significant delay in the MCU release schedule. Consequently, Deadpool 3 is now the only MCU movie set to release in 2024, with Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts being pushed back to 2025.
Related: Every Avenger Who Is Still Active As A Superhero After Endgame
This gives the MCU plenty of time to rework the stories into a new climax with Avengers 5. Given that recent MCU installments outside of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantummania and Loki haven’t even referenced Kang, Marvel has yet to write itself into a corner. While Kang has admittedly been marketed as the high-stakes villain of the Multiverse Saga, it isn’t as if Marvel is unaccustomed to brushing narratives under the rug with little to no backlash as it steers attention away from its perceived failures. Eternals, for instance, left the titanic corpse of a Celestial jutting out of the sea and that received just one cursory mention since.
Changing up the titles of announced projects isn’t beyond the pale for Marvel, either. Agatha: Darkhold Diaries is a prime example with two title changes since it was first announced. Captain America: Brave New World, meanwhile, was first announced as Captain America: New World Order. While the central themes and content of each of these projects remain the same, the question remains over how Marvel will decide to handle veering away from Kang entirely in Avengers 5.
How Marvel Could Rework The Avengers 5 Story
If Kang is being written out of Avengers 5, then Marvel has a huge opportunity to replace him with another iconic villain in the form of Doctor Doom. Doom is the presumed big bad of Avengers: Secret Wars regardless, given his importance to the storyline in the run of comics of the same name. With that being the case, there are still options for Marvel to pursue with the narrative leading up to the movie that may well precede an entire soft reboot of the MCU. In many ways, these options may even be preferable to the original plan.
One of the most viable would be to spread the Secret Wars story across two movies, similar to how Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame navigated the culmination of the Infinity Saga. This would certainly up the stakes for the events of Secret Wars with more space for the new Avengers team to develop their relationships in the context of a single narrative. The conspicuous departure of Kang would likely be a hurdle that Marvel will struggle to overcome smoothly, but it isn’t one that Marvel is unfamiliar with.
Another option would be to introduce the Young Avengers in a team-up movie featuring another villain. The end of The Marvels saw Ms. Marvel recruiting the cinematic iteration of the team, confirming that the Young Avengers will be appearing soon. Giving this team space to flourish in their own movie devoid of the older Avengers would be conducive to establishing them as central figures on a par with the original team before the Multiverse Saga finally concludes. Whatever the case, Marvel still has ample time to figure out a new route for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty should Kang no longer be a central figure in the MCU.
Key Release Dates
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Deadpool 3 Release Date: 2024-07-26 -
Captain America: Brave New World Release Date: 2025-02-14 -
Marvel’s Fantastic Four Release Date: 2025-05-02 -
Marvel’s Thunderbolts Release Date: 2025-07-25 -
Blade (2025) Release Date: 2025-11-07 -
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty Release Date: 2026-05-01 -
Avengers: Secret Wars Release Date: 2027-05-07
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Source: SCHOOL EMC
