by Jonas Reichel on December 19, 2023

Shock for all comic fans: Marvel fires Kang actor Jonathan Majors and is now planning to rename the next "Avengers" movie.

The supervillain Kang, played by Jonathan Majors, was considered one of the most promising characters in the current MCU and was therefore supposed to play a central role in the upcoming movies. This is now likely to be extremely difficult: Majors was on trial, being accused of assault and domestic violence. As the court found him guilty of 2 out of 4 charges, he now faces up to a year in prison. According to 'The Hollywood Reporter', Marvel then fired the actor as quick as possible.

Fans are now asking themselves how the MCU will continue without Jonathan Majors as Kang: On the one hand, there is of course still the possibility of recasting the role. This would certainly be the easiest solution and also be nothing new in the Marvel world. Mark Ruffalo, for example, slipped into the role of Bruce Banner after creative differences arose between 'The Incredible Hulk' actor Edward Norton and Marvel. Don Cheadle also only joined the MCU later - his role was played by Terrence Howard in the very first 'Iron Man' film.

The other option however, would be to focus on a completely new villain who could take over from Kang. Some time ago, rumors were already circulating the internet that Marvel wanted to create Dr. Doom as a new antagonist. The internal renaming of "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" to simply "Avengers 5" and the hiring of "Loki" author Michael Waldron could be indications that Marvel wants to follow the second path.

As things stand, "Avengers 5" is still scheduled to be released in cinemas on Mai 1, 2026. Whether the release date can really be complied to due to the current situation remains questionable.