MCU’s 2-Year-Old Avengers 5 Replacement Could Fix A Kang & Thanos Problem At The Same Time

Summary

• Kang the Conqueror’s future in the MCU is uncertain due to Jonathan Majors’ arrest and conviction.
• Phase 6’s
  Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
  may be changing its name and potentially focusing on a new villain, moving away from the Kang the Conqueror storyline.
• Marvel Studios could use incursions and heroes from alternate realities to replace the MCU’s biggest villains, Thanos and Kang.

Marvel Studios has already introduced the perfect villain to replace both Kang the Conqueror and Thanos ahead of Phase 6’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. In the wake of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and the dramatic conclusion to the Infinity Saga, the MCU began to set up Kang the Conqueror as the new overarching villain. With appearances in Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Kang and his evil variants were being teased as significant threats to the multiverse, which would have culminated in an epic battle in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but this has recently been thrown into jeopardy.

Jonathan Majors’ arrest and conviction in 2023 saw him fired from Marvel Studios, which has left the future of Kang the Conqueror in the MCU uncertain. Speculation has been rife about what direction Marvel Studios will take with the time-traveling villain, as it’s possible Jonathan Majors could be recast, or the overarching Kang storyline could, in fact, be dropped completely. Marvel Studios hasn’t officially commented, but The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will be renamed. This means that Avengers 5 may focus on a different Marvel villain, and the best Kang replacement may have already been introduced.

Incursions Can Replace Kang The Conqueror As The MCU’s New Major Threat

According to a new theory posed by Reddit user Erasculio, Marvel Studios doesn’t need to introduce a new physical villain to replace Kang the Conqueror in Avengers 5, as the concept of incursions and the danger of multiversal destruction already poses enough of a threat. Incursions were first introduced to the MCU in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, described as when universes collide, destroying one or more. The barriers between universes begin to break down when individuals meddle in the affairs of alternate realities, and this has happened several times since the beginning of the Multiverse Saga.

Stephen, your arrival here confuses and destabilizes reality. The larger the footprint you leave behind, the greater the risk of an incursion. An incursion occurs when the boundary between two universes erodes and they collide, destroying one or both entirely.

The idea of an incursion obliterating the universe is certainly a big enough threat to replace a physical character villain, and there are many benefits to Marvel Studios focusing on incursions as a villain for Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars. Currently, many events that could have caused incursions have occurred, including those featured in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Spider-Man: No Way Home, What If…?,The Marvels and even Sony Pictures’ Morbius. Incursions are expected to ravage the multiverse in the MCU’s Phase 6, so this could be the perfect major villain to replace Kang the Conqueror.

The only time an incursion has actually been seen in the MCU, so far, was in
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
, as Doctor Strange and Earth-838’s Christine Palmer were sent to an incursion-ravaged reality by the Scarlet Witch.

Thanos Was A Difficult MCU Villain To Replace

While incursions could be used in the MCU’s Phase 6 to replace Kang the Conqueror, they could also become the perfect replacement for the overarching villain of the Infinity Saga, Thanos. Marvel Studios built up the threat of the Mad Titan for several years after his debut in the post-credits scene of 2012’s The Avengers, as Josh Brolin portrayed Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron before he began his quest to collect the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War. Thanos was the first major villain to really defeat the Avengers, leaving huge shoes to fill.

Some have found the transition away from Thanos as a villain difficult to manage, particularly since the build up to Kang the Conqueror’s storyline has been confusing, and Jonathan Majors’ controversies have now brought this to a halt. If Marvel Studios puts more focus on a non-character antagonist such as incursions, this transition may be much easier, as there will be no physical villain for audiences to compare to the might of Thanos. While Thanos threatened the universe, incursions pose a danger to the entire multiverse, and the fact that they aren’t even visible makes this foe even more terrifying.

Heroes From Other Realities Can Be The Villains Of Avengers 5 & Secret Wars

Of course, watching Earth’s Mightiest Heroes battle an unseen threat that may be impossible to stop could be tedious for the viewer, but this is where the idea of multiversal variants would come in handy. Throughout the Multiverse Saga, Marvel Studios has introduced several alternate versions of popular heroes, and these characters could pose a physical threat in Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars. If each reality learns of impending incursions, the heroes of these worlds would surely try to stop their universe from being destroyed, but this would be in opposition to the heroes of the MCU’s main continuity.

Loki on Disney+ introduced several different versions of the God of Mischief, Spider-Man: No Way Home debuted alternate Peter Parkers and powerful villains, and The Marvels introduced new versions of the X-Men. However, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness brought the most new variants into the MCU, as Earth-838’s Illuminati met Doctor Strange, and were killed soon after by the corrupted Scarlet Witch. This event surely caused a major incursion, which could mean that the surviving heroes of Earth-838 may pose a significant threat to the MCU’s primary superheroes in Phase 6, perhaps seeking vengeance against Earth-616’s Wanda Maximoff.

Earth-838’s Illuminati comprised John Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic, Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, Lashana Lynch’s Captain Marvel, Anson Mount’s Black Bolt and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Sorcerer Supreme.

Marvel Comics’ Heroes Don’t Fight A Major Villain In The Lead Up To 2015’s Secret Wars

The idea of alternate heroes posing a threat during an incursion event could be taken straight from the pages of Marvel Comics. Recently, Marvel Studios has been speculated to be adapting Jonathan Hickman’s Time Runs Out storyline from 2014, which took place immediately prior to 2015’s epic Secret Wars event. Time Runs Out didn’t see the Marvel Universe’s heroes battling a singular foe, but explored the heroes of Earth-616 and Earth-1610 fighting valiantly to stop the incursion from destroying their respective universe – by working out a way to destroy the other, often at the opposition of their fellow superheroes.

All hope seems lost after it’s revealed that 616 and 1610 are the only two universes remaining in existence.

While some heroes try and work out how to destroy the other reality, others explore ways to survive the impending incursion, though all hope seems lost after it’s revealed that 616 and 1610 are the only two universes remaining in existence. This would be a fantastic way to conclude the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, especially since the events of Time Runs Out could be explored across Avengers 5 and Doctor Strange 3 (as has been rumored), before 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars adapts the Battleworld storyline after the multiverse is destroyed. This would eliminate the need for a Kang the Conqueror replacement to be introduced.

Marvel Studios Focusing On Incursions Will Make Phase 6’s Avengers Movies More Personal

By removing a single, powerful antagonist, and focusing instead on the idea of incursions destroying the multiverse, Avengers 5 and Secret Wars can become more personal and intimate projects. Marvel Studios has received some criticism for recent projects lacking the human touches that the MCU’s earlier stories excelled at delivering, but having an intense focus on character in Avengers 5 would assuage these concerns. This could show some heroes descending into morally gray areas, while others prove their heroism by trying to save the day, and this could be the best way to lead into a soft-reboot of the MCU.

Marvel Studios has been heavily rumored to be soft-rebooting the MCU after Avengers: Secret Wars, just as Marvel Comics did following 2015’s Secret Wars event. This can be perfectly set up by adapting Time Runs Out and Secret Wars somewhat accurately, as several characters could simply lose their lives during the catastrophic incursion event. This would set up incursions as a much more dangerous threat than Thanos or Kang the Conqueror, and have a lasting impact on the MCU that will be felt for years after the release of Phase 6’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars​​​​​​​.

Avengers 5
is currently scheduled for release on May 1, 2026, and will be followed a year later by
Avengers: Secret Wars
on May 7, 2027, concluding Phase 6 and the Multiverse Saga.

Key Release Dates