Kang’s Downfall in the MCU Seemed Inevitable Even Before the Jonathan Majors Controversy

Kang’s introduction as a major villain in the MCU always seemed like a challenge, but it quickly became clear that things were going wrong in ways that made his debut feel doomed from the start. After being teased in Loki Season 1, Kang officially appeared as the central antagonist in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

This film was meant to kick off his reign as the MCU’s next big threat after Thanos, but instead, it underperformed at the box office and left little impact, raising questions about whether Kang was ever the right choice to lead the Multiverse Saga.

One major problem was how the MCU chose to tell Kang’s story. His defeat in Quantumania felt repetitive, mirroring Scott Lang’s predicament in Ant-Man and the Wasp. In the earlier film, Scott found himself trapped in the Quantum Realm, helpless and awaiting external rescue.

As you likely recall, in Quantumania, Kang meets a similar fate. While he’s defeated, it’s left unclear whether he’s truly dead or just trapped in the Quantum Realm. This lack of clarity diminished his impact as a villain, making it hard to view him as a genuine threat.

Before the film’s release, many of us expected a major twist, perhaps the death of a key character. Instead, nothing truly significant happened. Kang’s ambiguous ending and the absence of real stakes made the movie feel underwhelming.

His defeat also raised questions. If Ant-Man—a relatively weaker Avenger—could defeat him with the help of some ants, how could Kang ever pose a real threat to stronger heroes like Thor or Hulk?

The concept of Kang having countless variants could have made him an intimidating adversary, but in practice, it fell flat. These variants came across as disposable rather than menacing. The hype surrounding Kang quickly fizzled, and rumors about the MCU moving forward without him gained traction.

Now, Doctor Doom is set to take over as the central villain, with a focus on building up to Avengers: Doomsday. If all goes according to plan, Marvel may officially confirm Kang’s death in Quantumania and leave the Council of Kangs storyline unresolved.

The fact that Marvel is even bringing Robert Downey Jr. back as a different character shows just how determined they are to ensure Doom’s dominance as the next big bad.

Kang’s brief hype now feels like a missed opportunity. Whether his character could have worked better with different writing or a stronger debut is up for debate. But by mirroring Scott Lang’s ending from a previous film, Marvel may have unintentionally set Kang up for failure from the outset, regardless of the later Jonathan Majors controversy.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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