Marvel’s Phase Four and beyond had a different outlook when it all kicked off. The post Avengers: Endgame feel was set around one big bad: Kang. But now, that’s not the case and Kevin Feige says the move away from Kang was always the plan.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe was setting itself up for a new team to take on Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors. Then reports came out that Majors allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. When Majors was charged with and eventually convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment, he was let go from the MCU.
In an interview with journalists promoting Fantastic Four: First Steps, Feige addressed the change over Kang to our new big bad in Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. “Even before what had happened to the actor, we had started to realize that Kang wasn’t Thanos,” Feige said. “There was only one character that could be that because he was that in the comics for decades and decades, and because of the Fox acquisition, we finally had it, and that’s Dr. Doom.”
He went on to clarify that these conversations were happening prior to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania even hitting theaters. “We had started talking about Dr. Doom even before we officially pivoted from Kang,” Feige said. “In fact, I had started talking with Robert about this audacious idea before Ant-Man 3 even came out.”
That all could very well be the case. Still, the MCU did have plans for Kang that pivoted hard when the news about Majors broke. And that happened post Quantumania. Now, all signs point to Doom and Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So if you thought they really were committed to Kang up until Majors’ conviction, Feige said think again. Guess he’s always two steps ahead?
(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture)
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