Marvel Couldn’t Recast Kang And Had To Pivot To Doctor Doom?
As we all know by now, Marvel recently announced Robert Downey Jr.’s triumphant return to the MCU at Comic-Con. “New mask, same task” the Iron Man actor rhymed while holding up the mask of Victor Von Doom. This would seem to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Marvel is officially ditching Kang for Doctor Doom. But was it a creative decision, or did Marvel have to make the switch because of a contract with Jonathan Majors?
No Other Kangs?
Late last year, there was a rumor that Johnathon Majors’ contract with Marvel stipulated that only he could play Kang and his many variants. If this rumor is true, it would explain why Marvel didn’t just recast Kang and instead replace him with Doctor Doom. I don’t know if I buy it though.
No offense to Johnathan Majors, but when he signed on to play Kang, he wasn’t exactly a household name.
If Chris Evans—one of Marvel’s biggest stars—didn’t have a contract stating that no one else could play Captain America, why would Majors get one? Try as I might I can’t wrap my head around Majors having that kind of negotiating power.
Why Ant-Man?
I think there’s another reason Marvel is axing Kang in favor of Doctor Doom: he’s lame. To be more accurate, the way Marvel has used him thus far has been lame.
The studio teased fans with a few variants, like the one at the end of Loki, and then introduced the real, big bad Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man 3. Seriously Marvel? Ant-Man?
Remember when Marvel wanted to show what a beast Thanos was in Infinity War, so the first thing they had him do was dog-walk the Hulk? It’s a classic trope. Have the new guy beat the strongest guy so everyone knows what a threat he is. But that trope goes both ways.
When Marvel had one of the weakest Avengers defeat its new universe-ending threat, it sent the wrong message to fans. Hey, this new Kang guy? He’s actually kind of a wuss. Unsurprisingly, audiences were underwhelmed by Kang. As a result, Marvel probably figured the best course of action was to get rid of him and bring in fan-favorite Doctor Doom.
RDj Panic Button
And to quote the Knight at the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, “They chose poorly.” Disney tried this fan-driven course correction BS with Rise of Skywalker, and we all know how well that worked out.
They turned off not only the fans who liked The Last Jedi but the ones who didn’t, as well. If they had just stayed the course, at least half of the fandom would have liked Episode IX.
Learning nothing from that debacle, Kevin Feige went full panic mode with Kang. Not only did he nix Kang as the main threat of Avengers 5 in favor of Doctor Doom, but he got Robert Downey Jr. to replace him.
Feige wanted to get fans back on board with the MCU so badly that he made a dumb decision based solely on cheap nostalgia.
Why Not Switch Directions?
Villains are only as good as they’re written, meaning there is nothing inherently wrong with Kang as a bad guy. Sure, Jonathan Majors’ real-life legal troubles tainted the role, but Marvel could have done damage control.
All they had to do was switch directions with Kang, not replace him with Doctor Doom. Recast the role, write some better material, and build upon what already exists to make him a formidable foe.
If Feige still wanted something close to that RDJ reaction, he could have cast someone like Denzel Washington to play Kang. Or heck, bring back Michael B. Jordan. It would be easier to explain him as Kang than Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.
But no, let’s rename Avengers5 from The Kang Dynasty to Doomsday. The only way I’ll be satisfied with this new development is if they pull a Poochie to swap out Kang for Doctor Doom. “Where’s Kang?” “He died on the way back to his home planet.”
Doom Cometh
I’ve heard some fans suggest that Marvel introduce Doctor Doom by having him wipe out the entire council of Kangs single-handedly. I would accept that, but only if they give no explanation.
It’s just an after-credits scene where the council is discussing taking over the multiverse when Doom teleports in and massacres them all.
Either way, I can’t wait to see Marvel’s Doctor Doom nostalgia play blow up in their faces. When that happens, don’t be surprised if you suddenly see a meme where Kevin Feige is making the surprised Pikachu face because I sure as heck plan on making one.
It will take more than lazily cutting plot points and stunt casting to right Marvel’s ship. I just hope someone figures that out between now and 2026 when Doomsday comes out.
