Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can set up Kang the Conqueror's arrival before Ant-Man 3. With the conclusion of the Infinity Saga, Marvel Studios is moving past the Infinity Stones and Thanos storyline that was built up throughout the first ten years of the MCU. Avengers: Endgame brought this story to a close but also set up several aspects that could be key to the future. The Avengers discovered time travel and tapped into the multiverse and as Tony Stark said, "When you mess with time, it tends to mess back." For the MCU, that appears to mean the debut of Kang the Conqueror.
Just as Thanos wasn't a well-known character to moviegoers when he debuted in The Avengers' post-credits scene in 2012, most won't be familiar with Kang's complicated comics origin. In the simplest terms, Kang is a time traveler from the 30th century who is a distant descendant of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. He is superhuman, a genius, and a skilled tactician who has conquered many universes. Although he is best known as Kang, his real name is Nathaniel Richards. He has also taken on the identities of Immortus, Iron Lad, the Scarlet Centurion, and Pharaoh Rama-Tut during his multiverse conquests. This story and Kang's power has long made him a foe that fans wanted to see make the jump to the big screen, and that now appears to be happening.
It has been reported that Da 5 Bloods and Lovecraft Country star Jonathan Majors will play Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man 3. Marvel has yet to confirm this exciting piece of casting, but the original report indicates that Kang might be more than a traditional villain. His comic history points to Kang having the potential to be the MCU's next Thanos. The timing of Majors' casting could even allow him to debut as Kang in another film potentially before taking on the main villain role in Ant-Man 3. Even if Marvel holds off Kang's debut until the next Ant-Man film, there are still a lot of ways that Phase 4 can set him up.
With a title like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it doesn't take long to figure out how the sequel could lead to Kang. The multiverse concept is integral to Kang being properly used in the MCU. Avengers: Endgame helped lay the foundation for the multiverse by having the Avengers create multiple new timelines, which Captain America attempted to prevent by putting the Infinity Stones back. However, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could lead directly into Kang's appearance by actually exploring the different universes that exist.
Fans have run wild with the potential of the multiverse in Doctor Strange 2. There has been speculation about all the different causes for the "madness" that will ensue, as well as theories about what characters could pop up. Alternate versions of known heroes or even cameos like Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man have been considered, but the reported details on the film paint a slightly different story. Scarlet Witch is set to appear, while fellow sorcerers like Clea and Brother Voodoo and the Young Avengers hero America Chavez (who comes from another universe) are rumored to be included. If Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness fully embraces the multiverse, glimpses of universes that Kang has already conquered could be seen.
While Doctor Strange 2 will deal with the multiverse, the Loki show on Disney+ will be the first MCU property to be set in an alternate reality. The new adventure with the god of mischief will take place in the universe where Loki escaped the Avengers' capture by using the Tesseract, as shown during the Avengers' time-travel missions in Avengers: Endgame. Details on the series are still being kept under wraps but one aspect that is confirmed is the presence of the Time Variance Authority. This organization is in charge of observing and protecting the multiverse.
It was previously reported that Loki will help set up Kang, with some theories even suggesting that one of the mysterious cast members of the show could play him. That doesn't appear to be the case with Majors' casting, but the TVA's connection to Kang can still exist. In the comics, the TVA has a storied conflict with Kang due to his time travel and multiverse-hopping conquests. Although Loki could see the TVA focused on righting any wrongs that Loki or the Avengers caused, the seeds for their battle with Kang can still be mentioned or become a larger focus of the series as it progresses.
Kang could also be set up through WandaVision. The Disney+ series will follow Scarlet Witch and Vision, but the circumstances behind their reunion are unclear. It appears Vision will return in an altered reality created by Wanda or within her mind, and it is confirmed that the show will lead to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There is some belief that Wanda will be the one responsible for the madness mentioned by the film's title. If that is the case, then it's possible what she does in WandaVision draws Kang's attention.
There is also some precedence in the comics for Kang having a special interest in Scarlet Witch. At one point in time, he wanted to find a being known as the Celestial Madonna, who would give birth to the most powerful man in the universe according to historical records. When Kang began searching for her, Scarlet Witch was identified as one of the potential candidates to be her. Although Mantis was actually the Celestial Madonna, whatever power Scarlet Witch shows in WandaVision could be enough for Kang to hear about and potentially believe she is the Celestial Madonna. Of course, there's no guarantee that Marvel will adapt this part of Kang's story, but they could put their own twist on Kang having an interest in Scarlet Witch.
It's also possible that Eternals could provide some more teases for Kang. Marvel has confirmed that the movie's story will span thousands of years, allowing Eternals to cover the entire history of the MCU in the process. This will open up brand new eras that have yet to be explored. Time travel is an important part of Kang's story, as he doesn't always go to the same point in time. One of his first travels saw him go to ancient Egypt and where he became known as Pharaoh Ramu-Tut. Eternals could reveal that Kang tried to conquer this reality in the past but the Eternals defeated him, which would be similar to how the Fantastic Four cut his reign short in the comics.
It might not seem like The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has room to tie into Kang, but the series could serve as a bit of a parallel to his story. It is expected that part of the show will explore Falcon and Bucky dealing with Captain America's decision to time travel at the end of Avengers: Endgame and changing what he wanted by spending the rest of his life with Peggy Carter. Although his motivation is easier to understand, Cap's actions ultimately aren't that different from what Kang does, albeit with a different objective and on a different scale. Falcon and Bucky coming to terms with what Steve did will be all the more intriguing to consider should they eventually come face-to-face with another time traveler in a future MCU story.
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