The MCU is setting a trend with its use of Kang the Conqueror and his variants, which could impact Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. When the Multiverse Saga was first commencing in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, Loki gave the first hint of what was to come by introducing Jonathan Majors as He Who Remains. He was already announced as Kang the Conqueror for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but his appearance in Loki was a big surprise.
After that, his demise in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was significant for many reasons. While it went against expectations that he would kill Ant-Man, his fate also unlocked the opportunity to introduce more of his variants, including Victor Timely, Immortus, Rama-Tut, and Scarlet Centurion. Going forward, his variants can begin to take center stage in upcoming properties leading up to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. How the MCU chooses to use and showcase them will have a lasting impact on the Multiverse Saga’s stakes and success.
Kang’s Repeated Failure Risks Making Him Seem Weak In Avengers 5
So far, the MCU has only featured two versions of Kang in significant roles in the MCU, and both have ended up as the loser in their respective projects. He Who Remains’ case in Loki is quite different from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s Kang. The former gets his own riveting episode in which he effectively establishes the MCU’s understanding of the multiverse and what he and his variants are capable of. Sylvie killing him in revenge for how the TVA has hunted her down was a powerful moment, but in the grand scope of who Kang the Conqueror is, He Who Remains’ death was relatively unimpressive.
Kang’s defeat in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania may not be what it seems. When the tables seemed to be turned against Ant-Man, Wasp came in to save the day, and together the heroes successfully pushed him back into his multiverse engine. As it collapsed in on itself, it pulled Kang into oblivion – presumably killing him – but knowing Marvel and their plans, this could’ve just unlocked Kang’s evolution into something more powerful for Avengers: Secret Wars. His demise did entail a fight, but it also risked creating a problematic pattern for the MCU.
The Council of Kangs could certainly be secret antagonists in various upcoming projects throughout Phases 5 and 6, yet framing them as such could result in more consistent losses for Kang. He and his variants are all immensely powerful and intelligent, legendary for the threat they pose. However, if they keep losing to individual heroes, it could damage their presumed menace. This could result in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’s stakes exponentially weakening.
Kang’s Deaths Remove Potential Villains From The Kang Dynasty
The MCU could just use Kang’s variants as connective tissue uniting the disparate storylines by inserting cameos here or there, but there’s a genuine possibility they could utilize some of them as major antagonists, too. Particularly, one variant shows great potential for the latter. Rama-Tut, Kang’s Egyptian Pharaoh variant, could help unite the MCU’s West Coast Avengers or be the main antagonist in a different MCU project. While this could be an exciting push forward in substantially setting up Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Rama-Tut could fall victim to the MCU’s villain problem.
The MCU has had a long track record of creating fascinating and dynamic villains and then killing them off. In this way, the MCU is starkly opposed to the comics. Villains are often recurring and widely spread throughout the continuity, and even death is not entirely permanent. The MCU has operated differently with some exceptions – Loki, Zemo, and Thanos – meaning great villains like Hela, Killmonger, and Wenwu are all one-and-dones. They were shown off effectively, and their deaths had meaning, but there was still more the MCU could’ve done with them if they weren’t killed off.
The contexts of using Kang and his variants differ from other villains’ cases. While he was taken off the table in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, there’s still an understanding, seeing as he is the Kang the Conqueror and not a variant, that he will return sometime down the pipeline. However, for Rama-Tut, Scarlet Centurion, and others, the same cannot necessarily be said. If they are actually used as main antagonists in forthcoming movies and tv shows, they may be killed off, which not only markedly weakens ongoing stakes but also just takes pieces off the game board so Avengers: The Kang Dynasty has less to play with.
Overusing Kang’s Variants May Make Avengers 5 Feel Less Unique
Perhaps the biggest problem facing the MCU with the Council of Kangs in the mix is overusing the character. The Infinity Saga established Thanos steadily, starting with his introduction at the end of The Avengers. He appeared where it made sense to build him and his notoriety up, but he wasn’t overused. Kang’s variants’ mere potential in the MCU risks overusing the character. The MCU already has to contend with growing superhero movie fatigue brought on partly by a relentless Phase 4 release schedule – character fatigue can’t be added to the mix. Featuring Kang too much could adversely impact his overall reception.
The second post-credit scene in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania set up a fun premise for Loki. While it’s still far too early to presume specifics, it gave the show the opportunity for Loki and Mobius to hunt down not only Victor Timely but other Kang variants throughout Loki season 2. This could include anyone from the big hitters like Immortus or Scarlet Centurion to Kang’s strangest variants, such as Kangaroo the Conqueror or Kamala Kang. Even He Who Remains could be brought back into the mix. If they are not handled effectively and carefully, this all risks weakening Kang’s brand, diminishing his full MCU potential.
Much of this concerns the variant’s characterization, function, and role size. If Majors’ portrayals aren’t concisely distinct, the Kangs risk seeming repetitive. Even continuously overusing Kang’s variants in cameos or post-credits scenes intended to tease how everything is connected and leading to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and then Avengers: Secret Wars is a bit of a double-edged sword. It risks getting tiresome, thus lessening the impact of Kang’s future appearances, and it could just exacerbate the MCU’s problematic trend of leaving viewers on with big teases that won’t resolve for years.
How The MCU Can Make Kang Work Better
Using Kang is all about balance. In building up to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Kang’s theorized return, the MCU must strike the delicate balance between overusing and underutilizing Kang. The best way to do that is by varying their roles’ sizes, narrative purpose, and engagement with other characters, showcasing the wide breadth of Kang’s potential function in the MCU. Particularly, they shouldn’t hesitate to use one variant like Rama-Tut or Scarlet Centurion as a main antagonist, but they can lay more groundwork with smaller roles and cameos, diversifying their scope.
The MCU can also create intrigue by giving Kang a win. Naturally, that would establish the stakes going forward; if a hero or two meets their tragic end, it would effectively build up Kang as the fearsome threat he deserves to be. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty might not even follow in Avengers: Infinity War’s footsteps and the heroes could “win” out in the end – or at least be victorious against the Council, as the multiverse will still have to be destroyed for Avengers: Secret Wars to happen. Seeding a true Kang victory before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty would be perfect for enhancing his full MCU arc.
If upcoming projects, starting with Loki season 2, begin to include Kang’s variants, they must ensure that they efficiently develop and highlight both what unites them and what makes each unique. They are all powerful and should be threats to MCU’s heroes, but the MCU can explore how they are utilized so it doesn’t end in a big, generic battle at the end again. Loki’s use of He Who Remains can be a good marker for how to subvert expectations in a way that substantially enhances the individual and overarching narratives. Not everything has to end in a CGI fest, even with Kang’s ruthless nature in the mix.
The MCU needn’t solely use Kang as a villain, either. He’s been a hero often in the comics, and showcasing that in the MCU would just enhance the understanding of who Kang is. Seeing as he is no ally to his variants, Kang could theoretically return in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty as a hero, aiding the Avengers in taking them down, and thus giving his arc and turn into Avengers: Secret Wars’ antagonist more depth and impact. These variants should all be helping to build Kang up, and if the MCU cleverly differentiate how they utilize his variants, they can ensure Avengers: The Kang Dynasty lands and pushes MCU forward.
