Kevin Feige has shed new mild on some of the game-changing artistic shifts within the MCU, particularly Marvel’s determination to pivot from Kang the Conqueror to Physician Doom, with the large boss suggesting that Marvel Studios may need began to course appropriate earlier than the discharge of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Jonathan Majors’ authorized troubles. After Majors’ cameo within the Loki Season 1 finale, it turned clear that his Kang the Conqueror can be the lead villain of what Marvel Studios was calling the Multiverse Saga, taking on from Thanos and concluding with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. But, following the underperforming important response and field workplace to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and the arrest and later conviction of Majors, Marvel Studios introduced that Robert Downey Jr. would return to the MCU, now taking part in Physician Doom because the lead of Avengers: Doomsday.
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For the primary time since firing Jonathan Majors, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige spoke in regards to the character and the actor (although not by identify, solely referring to him as “The Kang actor”) through Deadline. Feige revealed that Marvel Studios appeared to appreciate that Kang was not understanding as the large dangerous months earlier than Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hit theaters or earlier than Main’s arrest. Feige revealed that early talks with Downey Jr. occurred earlier than Quantumania hit theaters, suggesting that Marvel Studios was remodeling Avengers: The Kang Dynasty simply months after confirming it at San Diego Comedian-Con in July 2022. Feige stated:
“Even earlier than what had occurred to the actor, we had began to appreciate that Kang wasn’t Thanos. There was just one character that might be that as a result of he was that within the comics for many years and a long time, and due to the Fox acquisition, we lastly had it, and that’s Physician Doom. We had began speaking about Physician Doom even earlier than we formally pivoted from Kang. In truth, I had began speaking with Robert about this audacious concept earlier than Ant-Man 3 even got here out.”
Analyzing This Timeline of Occasions Does Not Require the Quantum Realm
When it comes to the timeline of occasions. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opened in theaters on Feb. 17, 2023. Jonathan Majors was arrested for assault, strangulation, and harassment costs filed by his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, on March 25 of that very same yr. Marvel didn’t formally hearth Majors till Dec. 18, 2023, inside minutes of the actor being discovered responsible in court docket and charged with one depend of reckless assault within the third-degree. Seven months later, on July 27, 2024, Robert Downey Jr. was formally confirmed to be taking part in Physician Doom, and the deliberate Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was renamed Avengers: Doomsday.
It actually provides up, as Loki Season 2 seemingly discovered a option to write out the Kang storyline teased in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which might have needed to be completed earlier than Could 1, 2023, when the WGA strike occurred, adopted shortly by the SAG-AFTRA strike, which solely concluded the day earlier than the Loki Season 2 finale. If Kevin Feige’s assertion is true, meaning the talks for Robert Downey Jr. to return as Physician Doom might occurred as early as 2022, probably in November of that yr. That might have been the identical month that Bob Iger returned because the CEO of the Walt Disney Firm, changing Bob Chapek.
Nonetheless, it does elevate some questions for Marvel Studios. Why did Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania‘s tagline, “Witness the start of a New Dynasty,” place the movie and the villain as essential and act as a tease for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, a film they seemingly have been planning on retooling? Have been they nonetheless going to attempt to transfer ahead with Kang if Robert Downey Jr. did not comply with return? If Downey Jr. agreed to return as Physician Doom and Majors wasn’t arrested, would the 2 villains have teamed up? Marvel Studios actually appeared dedicated to the Kang Dynasty storyline, because the post-credits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania teased the Council of Kangs. A post-credits that’s now the MCU’s some of the awkward moments within the franchise, destined to go nowhere. Feige could be telling the reality that that they had been speaking to Downey Jr. about showing as Physician Doom for a while, nevertheless it appears they have been dedicated to Kang the Conqeuror till they have been compelled to pivot.
Supply: Deadline