Kang the Conqueror has returned to Marvel, but not in the way many viewers anticipated. More than a year after Marvel Studios shifted away from the character as the centerpiece of the Multiverse Saga, a new actor has officially stepped into the role.
The reveal arrives as Marvel continues reshaping the direction of its interconnected universe. Rather than building toward the once-announced Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the studio is now preparing for Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), with Robert Downey Jr. taking on the role of Victor Von Doom instead of reprising Tony Stark.
The change followed a challenging period for Marvel Studios. Since Avengers: Endgame (2019), the franchise has produced several major hits, including Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), but other recent installments have struggled to match the box office dominance that once defined the MCU. Captain America: Brave New World (2025), Thunderbolts* (2025), and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) each fell short of previous Marvel benchmarks.
Jonathan Majors was originally expected to lead the franchise's next chapter after portraying multiple versions of Kang across Marvel projects. Those plans unraveled following the actor's legal issues in late 2023. Majors ultimately exited the franchise after a legal battle involving former partner Grace Jabbari, whose claims included battery, assault, malicious prosecution, and defamation.
Marvel's revised direction became public during San Diego Comic-Con 2024, where Kevin Feige confirmed that Anthony and Joe Russo would return to direct the next two Avengers films. The biggest surprise came when Robert Downey Jr., coming off his Academy Award-winning performance in Oppenheimer (2023), appeared on stage to reveal he would portray Doctor Doom, effectively replacing Kang as the saga's primary villain.
The pivot raised fresh questions about whether Kang would ever appear again. The villain's latest live-action appearance came as Victor Timely in Loki Season 2, following Kang's confrontation with Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).
Although Marvel has moved forward with Doctor Doom, Kevin Feige has argued that the studio's decision was already taking shape before Jonathan Majors' departure.
“We had started even before what had happened to the actor happened, we had started to realize that Kang wasn’t big enough, wasn’t Thanos, and that there was only one character that could be that, because he was that in the comics for decades and decades,” Feige said, per The Hollywood Reporter.
“Because of the Fox acquisition, we finally had it, and it was Dr. Doom. So we had started talking about Dr. Doom even before we officially pivoted from Kang,” the President confirmed. “And in fact, I had started talking with Robert [Downey Jr.] about this audacious idea before Ant-Man 3 even came out. It was a long plan that we had, to take one of our greatest characters and utilize one of our greatest actors.”
That explanation did not go unchallenged.
Former X-Men '97 writer and showrunner Beau DeMayo stated publicly that Kang was still expected to play a major part in Marvel's plans throughout 2023, pointing to his own work on the Disney+ animated series.
“In 2023, I was working on Season 2 of #xmen97 who has Kang in it. Majors was definitely who would’ve voiced the character,” DeMayo posted on social media at the time. “I remember seeing John Wick 4 in March 2023 with a top exec at Marvel at the Americana movie theater in Glendale the weekend the news broke about Majors' legal trouble, discussing how Kang was definitely the game plan and the studio was afraid.”
“After the Majors news broke, @MarvelStudios told me Majors would likely be off the table for my plans with Kang in #XMen97 S2 as they awaited the verdict which would determine if he’d be recast in the MCU. I then [cast] John de Lancie as #Kang as I felt Q would be a great template for him in animated form,” he said.
Those comments have now taken on added significance. X-Men '97 Season 2 premiered its first three episodes on Disney+ on July 1, introducing John de Lancie as the voice of the Rama-Tut variant and marking Marvel Studios' first official Kang recasting.
“This version of Rama-Tut is clearly not played by Jonathan Majors,” The Direct reports. “Instead, Star Trek: The Next Generation actor John de Lancie now brings Kang to life in X-Men '97 Season 2, completely retconning a major Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania decision that every Kang Variant in the MCU Multiverse looks exactly like Majors.”
The outlet also notes that the animated incarnation closely mirrors Rama-Tut's comic book appearance, complete with the character's recognizable green-and-gold pharaoh attire.
Whether Marvel eventually introduces this version of Kang into live action remains an open question. At present, the studio's focus is firmly on Doctor Doom and the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, leaving Kang's future beyond animation uncertain.
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