Marvel officially dropped The Kang Dynasty from the title of Avengers 5 after firing Jonathan Majors following his conviction for assault and harassment.
According to sources for The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel has decided to revert to a working title for Avengers 5 after firing Majors from his role as Kang the Conqueror. Originally, Marvel planned to have Majors play all versions of Kang in the MCU’s multiverse. So far, he’s appeared as Kang in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and Kang variants He Who Remains and Victor Timely in Loki Seasons 1 and 2. However, Majors’ conviction put an end to those plans.
Avengers 5 has been in a state of flux since Majors’ arrest in March 2023. Marvel initially hired Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton to helm the project, with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness penning the script. Since then, both dropped out of the project. Recently, Marvel confirmed that Loki creator Michael Waldron would take over as screenwriter. At this time, Marvel has not hired a new director.
Majors was charged with assault and harassment after a fight with then-girlfriend Grace Jabbari. Shortly after his arrest, Majors’ manager and talent agency dropped him. While several projects dropped Majors at the time, Marvel held out until his conviction. It remains unclear what Marvel plans to do now that it has lost its Kang. The multiverse and variant situations allow them to recast without much explanation. However, it remains possible they could move away from the character altogether.
This isn’t Marvel’s first time recasting a character in the MCU. Famously, Terrence Howard originated the role of James Rhodes in Iron Man but did not reprise the role over pay disagreements. Don Cheadle ultimately replaced him in Iron Man 2 and several other films and series. Marvel also recast Bruce Banner after Edward Norton stared as the titular character in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Mark Ruffalo replaced him in all subsequent appearances.
