NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Thanks to the events at San Diego Comic-Con, the MCU has gone in a new direction away from The Kang Dynasty. Dr. Doom will take over as the lead villain in the next big Marvel projects but that doesn’t mean they have completely closed the door on a Kang return.
This is still Marvel we’re talking about. The same studio that killed off Iron Man only to have Robert Downey Jr. come back as Dr. Doom. Fans can sit and say it was a money grab or a hint of nostalgia but let it be known, that this is still the Multiverse Saga at play and anything is possible.
With Doom set to take over top villain status, many believe they have erased Kang. Nope. They can’t do it even if they tried. Despite the issues the studio has with actor Jonathan Majors, Kang was on pace to take The MCU by storm and it can still happen.
Will Marvel Bring Back Kang
Sometimes, all that’s needed is a bit of space and people will come crawling back. Not Majors but the studio and fans. While there were mixed reviews following Kang’s appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, his appearance in Loki Season 1 and 2 was setting things up nicely. Then it came crashing down. Kevin Feige had to act quickly and Dr. Doom was the next best option. However, Marvel now has a chance to really up the ante on all superhero films with not one but two big villains.
Thanos was great. But imagine a movie where The Avengers had to fight two villains simultaneously. This is where Marvel could change the game. With the addition of the Fantastic Four and the rest of the new heroes they acquired from their deal with Fox, this is a real possibility. Dr. Doom has had his moments with The Avengers but the truth is, he’s more of a nemesis to the Fantastic Four than anymore. But Kang, that’s all Marvel there.
A recast of Kang is still a direction they could go in. If so, Feige should tap the shoulder of John David Washington (yes, Denzel’s son) to play the role. But this must be kept on the low. Marvel has a way of letting information leak out that ruins everything. Even before the announcement of Downey Jr, there was already news that he would be taking the role of Dr. Doom.
The next two team-up Avengers movies will be Avengers: Doomsday and then Avengers: Secret Wars. Doomsday, should be the standalone film to introduce Dr. Doom. Let him wreak havoc the way Thanos did in Avengers: Infinity War then, in Secret Wars, bring Kang back into the fold. The Infinity Saga belongs in a time capsule. Marvel has to find a way to top that. The Multiverse Saga can do it if done correctly. And one villain is not going to cut it.
With the Fantastic 4 solo film coming before, Silver Surfer will be introduced. A good villain but how long will she stay one? The new Avengers are not as powerful as the ones fans fell in love with from the first installment. As of now, they lack that “wow” factor that the original brought to the fanbase.
But the most important bit of information to come out of Comic-Con for Mavel was not Downy Jr. It was the announcement that the Russo brothers are returning to direct the Doomsday and Secret Wars films. If there is anyone who could make a Kang return possible, it’s these two.
