Summary
Marvel Studios has made a change to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s advance slate that officially marks a major pivot for the franchise after the high-profile 2023 controversy surrounding one MCU star came to a head earlier in the year.
The Avengershave been the central focus of the MCU from its onset and led the franchise through the phenomenal success of the Infinity Saga and into the record-shatteringAvengers: Endgame,the fourth mainlineAvengersfilm and the last to feature the original lineup. A new set of heroes would be introduced for the following Multiverse Saga headlined by Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror, butthings would get complicatedwhenMajors was eventually found guiltyon charges of reckless assault and harassment levied against him in 2023.
WhileJonathan Majors' Kang role was officially dropped by Marvel Studiosfollowing the conviction, the issue of what the future would hold for the character Kang was still up in the air as the studio has a myriad number of ways to recast and rework the character. However, a graphic posted to X byBoardwalk Timeshas confirmed at least one major change that many fans suspected would be the case. The graphic, used to showcase ROI at a recent investor meeting, confirms thatthe name for the next Avengers film has now internally returned to the defaultAvengers 5after being changed fromAvengers: Kang Dynasty.This is a clear signal that Kang’s central role in the ongoing saga is likely going to be scrapped or massively shrunk.
This move was previously reported as being in the works after the disastrous introduction Kang got inAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantimania,afilm that shocked Disney with massively negative reviewsafter its release and reveal of Majors’ Kang. WhileDisney initially remained silent on the accusations against Majorswhen they were first aired and let him carry on inLokiseason 2 as planned, the situation certainly couldn’t have helped the character’s chances of remaining a prominent antagonist. The image has little else by way of significant revelations other than the massive difference between the ROI ofStar WarsandThe Avengerscompared to Frozen, which massively outperformed the award-winning franchises that already sported stellar returns themselves.
Enough time has passed since the incidental reveal to take it as settled, leaving a lot for fans to theorize. Rumors have consistently suggested thatAvengers 5andSecret Warswill have another villain join Kang, and now that character seems destined to overshadow the former Thanos of the Multiverse Saga. While there’s only speculation as to what the studio will do now, Dr. Doom has a lot going for him in terms of taking up the central villain role of the saga. In addition to his impending introduction in the upcomingFantastic Fourfilm, Doom is also the actual comic book villain behind the most recentSecret Warsevent, a story arc with which the seventhAvengersfilm still shares a name.
WithKevin Feige reportedly looking toSecret Warsfor an MCU reboot, there’s going to be a lot riding on the success of whatever story the studio and execs decide to pivot to going forward. Fans can only wait out 2024 patiently to get more info on what the future holds for the Multiverse Saga andhow well Marvel Studios will withstand renewed pressurefrom James Gunn’s rebooted DCU.
Avengers 5is currently set for release on Jul 30, 2025.
The Avengers
The Avengers is a group of comic book characters that consists of some of the world’s most iconic superheroes, such as The Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor.The Avengers have been a powerful force in Hollywood for over a decade now, both as a collective and individually. The group has also starred in video games, such as LEGO Marvel’s Avengers and Marvel’s Avengers by Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix.
