Marvel Studios executives reportedly considered pivoting to a Doctor Doom storyline after Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors was arrested in March.
According to Variety, Marvel executives considered back-up plans in the wake of Majors' domestic violence accusations. The actor has maintained his innocence but Marvel is reportedly still considering other options due to the damage to his reputation or if he lost the trial.
Majors' character Kang was set to be the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU's) main villain for the next several years, essentially being the Thanos of the post-Avengers: Endgame franchise. He's already appeared in various forms in the likes of Loki (Season 2 of which is currently airing on Disney+) and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, however, meaning a simple recast of or moving on from Kang isn't on the cards either.
Marvel reportedly considered scrapping the character altogether, however, and bringing in another villain to take the adversarial helm of the MCU's Phase 5 and 6. Mainstay Fantastic Four baddie Doctor Doom was one possible rewrite according to Variety, and would perhaps fit in with Marvel's Fantastic Four that's expected to begin filming in spring 2024.
Dislodging Kang at the heart of Phase 5 and 6 won't be easy according to Variety's sources, however. Loki Season 2's final episode allegedly solidifies his position in the MCU even further, and one top dealmaker told the outlet "Marvel is truly f**ked with the whole Kang angle".
They continued: "They haven’t had an opportunity to rewrite until very recently [because of the Writers Guild of America strike]. But I don’t see a path to how they move forward with him."
Majors was arrested on March 25 under charges of strangulation, assault, and harassment after a domestic dispute. The NYPD told IGN at the time the victim suffered minor injuries to her head and neck and was taken to hospital in a stable condition. Majors was dropped from his talent manager Entertainment 360 and PR firm The Lede Company in April.
In a statement released to IGN in August, Majors' lawyer Priya Chaudhry maintained the actor is innocent. "For an excruciating four months, Jonathan Majors, the real victim in this shameful ordeal, has had his life, career, and reputation torn apart. Yet he remains unwavering in his determination to be absolved from this harrowing ordeal," Chaudhry said.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
