Casting Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in the Loki series threw a wrench into Marvel Studios’ Phase 6 plan. The dailies and the actor’s compelling performance in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania convinced Marvel Studios executives to change their minds about where to take the franchise.
But the fate of Phase 6, which will focus on Kang, is now in jeopardy due to the studio’s current predicament because of Majors’ recent legal troubles.
Jonathan Majors: The Major Change In MCU’s Phase 6
Word on the street is that Kang the Conqueror wasn’t always supposed to be the focus of MCU’s Phases 5 and 6. Vanity Fair senior writer and upcoming author of MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, Joanna Robinson claims that Marvel Studios originally intended to do something else.
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The studio, however, decided to shift its focus from the character to the actor after seeing Jonathan Majors’ remarkable portrayal of Kang in Tom Hiddleston’s Loki series and reviewing the dailies from Quantumania. Marvel Studios has never depended so heavily on a single performer for their series.
According to Joanna Robinson, the expectations placed on Jonathan Majors are greater than those for Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man or Josh Brolin as Thanos. Marvel’s decision to center Phase 6 on Majors’ Kang the Conqueror demonstrates the company’s faith in Majors’ abilities and the character’s potential to impact the future of the MCU.
“I was told by someone who works for Marvel, it was not the plan to make Kang the center of everything until they saw the dailies from ‘Quantumania’ and after his performance in ‘Loki,’ which was so strong they were like, ‘This is it. This is our way forward. We’ve lost our varsity hero team, but let’s set up around this guy Kang and this performer that so many people are reacting to.'”
However, recent legal issues being faced by the actor pose a unique challenge for the production company. They’d have to rework their entire plan if they have to recast such a crucial role, but keeping Majors while the investigations are still going would be risky for the brand’s image.
MCU’s Uncertain Future
Marvel Studios is in uncharted territory with rumors swirling about a possible recasting of Jonathan Majors’ Kang. Marvel Studios considered many options after the conclusion of the Infinity Saga before it was revealed that Kang the Conqueror would play a starring role in Phase 6.
Multiversal storytelling made sense, opening up fascinating new avenues for many plotlines. The studio took its time in the immediate aftermath of Endgame, emphasizing smaller character stories while its creative team found its footing.
However, Marvel Studios changed their original plans after seeing the promising footage from Quantumania and Jonathan Majors’ exceptional performance as Kang in Loki. Majors’ Kang presented the studio with an intriguing chance to expand the MCU’s canon and introduce a formidable new villain.
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Uncertainty about Jonathan Majors’ participation in Phase 6 doubts the franchise’s long-term viability. Now Marvel Studios must decide whether to recast the actor or keep steady with what they have.
Source: The Big Picture Podcast
