Marvel Studios may wish that Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania avoided its own post-credits trademark.
In addition to Jonathan Majors‘ role as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man 3, the Phase 5 film included two post-credits stingers featuring the actor, one of which featured him playing multiple versions of his Kang character.
In light of Majors’ ongoing legal woes that began in late March, not only is his MCU role a problem for the red brand, but also for the relevancy of this Multiverse Saga scene.
Is Marvel Recasting Jonathan Majors?
Weeks after Jonathan Majors starred in both Ant-Man 3 and Creed 3, the actor was arrested in New York City for alleged assault.
In the days and weeks that followed, additional details came to light while Majors was dropped from upcoming projects and ad opportunities.
At the moment, the actor’s case is ongoing with his next court date set for June 13.
While Marvel Studios has yet to comment on the situation, the odds of the studio sticking with Majors are low, leading to rising speculation about recasting the actor.
The problem with this is that Majors was already well-established as the face of Kang the Conqueror, a reality that continues to complicate Loki Season 2, where Quantumania‘s mid-credit scene confirmed Majors’ role as Victor Timely.
But it’s the other Ant-Man 3 stinger that may further complicate replacing the actor.
The Problem With Ant-Man 3’s Kang Council
Quantumania‘s second post-credits scene arguably generated a huge pop amongst fans in that it revealed the Council of Kangs, an assembly of the Multiverse’s various versions of the time-traveling tyrant, setting up Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
As Majors is the live-action face of Kang, he played every version of his character in this scene, including Immortus, Scarlet Centurion, Rama-Tut, and countless other time-lords.
This is different from Loki in that some of his Variants have been shown to look differently than Tom Hiddleston, and it makes Marvel’s Majors problem even bigger.
Now, recasting Majors won’t only lead to confusion and a lack of cohesiveness concerning Kang the Conqueror, but also Immortus, Rama-Tut, the Scarlet Centurion, Victor Timely, and all other time-traveling tyrants.
How Does Marvel Recoup on Its Kang Bet?
Marvel Studios bet big on Jonathan Majors in a way that’s more akin to Iron Man’s Robert Downey Jr. than Thanos’ Josh Brolin.
This is because Downey was tasked with launching the Marvel Cinematic Universe; if he had failed, MCU likely would’ve as well.
Yes, Kang is a villain and not a hero, but he was being positioned as a pillar of the Multiverse Saga and a catalytic character, just like Iron Man in the Infinity Saga. And, this particular Quantumania scene was intended to be the framework.
If the red brand does, in fact, recast its Multiverse mainstay, the question isn’t just who will replace Majors but how Marvel will handle the foundation that’s already been laid.
Regardless of how the studio charges forward into these unprecedented waters, it’s safe to say that one of Marvel’s biggest post-credits scenes to date is now one of its biggest obstacles.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is available to stream on Disney+.
