Ahead of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Six debut, and the arrival of First Family, the Fantastic Four, information about the future of the franchise has flooded out–one quietly confirmed piece of information? That Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror has been recast after all.Credit: Marvel StudiosWith Robert Downey Jr. confirmed to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the surprising new role of Victor Von Doom AKA Doctor Doom, attention continues to remain on the last MCU “Big Bad,” Kang the Conqueror. Recently, Kevin Feige spoke out about the future of the MCU, including discussing Kang’s part in the franchise–but not everyone agrees with his take and, actually, the role has been recast all along.MCU Has Faced Hurdles Since 2019’s Avengers: EndgameIt’s no secret that the MCU has faced various challenges since Avengers: Endgame. While titles like Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) were box office triumphs, much of the recent slate has struggled to replicate that same momentum. Even this year’s Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* failed to deliver the box office heights Disney is used to with its superhero franchise.Two years ago, the situation became even more complicated with the legal fallout surrounding Jonathan Majors, who portrayed Kang across multiple appearances. Once positioned as the next franchise-defining villain, Majors was removed from the MCU following a high-profile court case involving his ex-partner, Grace Jabbari, who sued him for battery, assault, malicious prosecution, and defamation (via The Hollywood Reporter).Credit: Marvel StudiosWithout much in the way of explanation, Marvel pivoted fast. At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Kevin Feige made a headline-grabbing announcement: Anthony and Joe Russo would return to direct the next two Avengers films, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. The titles—scheduled for December 2026 and 2027—mark a shift from the original Kang Dynasty plan, confirming a new overarching threat in the Multiverse Saga.Enter Doctor Doom.Marvel fans were left stunned when Robert Downey Jr., fresh off his Oscar-winning role in Oppenheimer (2023), was introduced live on stage as the actor stepping into the role of Victor Von Doom. It’s a major shift for the studio—and a bold choice to have Downey Jr., best known as Tony Stark/Iron Man, re-emerge as an entirely different character.Credit: Marvel StudiosSo far, Marvel has remained tight-lipped about exactly when and how Doom will arrive. However, current speculation suggests Downey Jr. will make his first appearance in the post-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025). Meanwhile, the question looms large: What’s next for Kang?The last audiences saw of the time-traveling villain was his Variant, Victor Timely, in Season 2 of Loki. Before that, Kang’s primary iteration clashed with Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). Will Marvel quietly retire the character offscreen? Or does a recasting lie ahead?Those questions now seem to have been answered.Credit: Gage Skidmore, FlickrIn a sit-down with select members of the press, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that Kang was off the table long before the Jonathan Majors lawsuit.“We had started even before what had happened to the actor happened, we had started to realize that Kang wasn’t big enough, wasn’t Thanos, and that there was only one character that could be that, because he was that in the comics for decades and decades,” Feige said, per The Hollywood Reporter.“Because of the Fox acquisition, we finally had it, and it was Dr. Doom. So we had started talking about Dr. Doom even before we officially pivoted from Kang,” the President confirmed. “And in fact, I had started talking with Robert [Downey Jr.] about this audacious idea before Ant-Man 3 even came out. It was a long plan that we had, to take one of our greatest characters and utilize one of our greatest actors.”Credit: Marvel StudiosHowever, another Marvel creative, X-Men ’97 writer and showrunner Beau DeMayo–who was ousted after the end of Season 1–has spoken out online, stating that Majors’ Kang was absolutely the way forward for the MCU. DeMayo wrote on X:In 2023, I was working on Season 2 of #xmen97 who has Kang in it. Majors was definitely who would’ve voiced the character.I remember seeing John Wick 4 in March 2023 with a top exec at Marvel at the Americana movie theater in Glendale the weekend the news broke about Majors legal trouble, discussing how Kang was def the gameplan and the studio was afraid.He is straight up lying.@Variety need to do journalism and stop being a contracted PR firm for @MarvelStudios pathetic attempts at damage control.In 2023, I was working on Season 2 of #xmen97 who has Kang in it. Majors was definitely who would’ve voiced the character. I remember seeing John Wick 4 in March 2023 with a top exec at Marvel at the Americana movie theater in Glendale the weekend the news broke about Majors… https://t.co/QtFsCX2YKH— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) July 20, 2025In another post on X (formerly Twitter), DeMayo confirmed that Kang has been recast in the X-Men ’97 show with a Star Trek legend.After the Majors news broke, @MarvelStudios told me Majors would likely be off the table for my plans with Kang in #XMen97 S2 as they awaited the verdict which would determine if he’d be recast in the MCU. I then [cast] John de Lancie as #Kang as I felt Q would be a great template for him in animated form.Also, and this should be obvious, Kang has massive connections to the #FantasticFourIt actually makes far more sense both logically and emotionally for KANG to come back to kidnap Franklin Richard’s (his ancestor) than it does Doom.He was absolutely the endgame.After the Majors news broke, @MarvelStudios told me Majors would likely be off the table for my plans with Kang in #XMen97 S2 as they awaited the verdict which would determine if he’d be recast in the MCU. I then casted John de Lancie as #Kang as I felt Q would be a great… pic.twitter.com/ck3JKq72q4— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) July 21, 2025As X-Men ’97 currently exists outside of the MCU proper, it will be interesting to see if this version of Kang the Conqueror will transfer into live-action at any point. After the complete shift to Doctor Doom, chances are it’s game over for Kang.Credit: Marvel StudiosColman Domingo Originally Emerged as a Frontrunner for Live-Action KangAmong fans and industry watchers, Colman Domingo emerged as a leading contender. The Rustin (2023) star has long been linked to the MCU and acknowledged those discussions.“You know, listen. My team has had conversations with Marvel about some aspect of the MCU for years. Do I know this to be true or not? I actually don’t know,” Domingo told Vanity Fair in February. “I feel like my team doesn’t bring me something unless it’s real. So I don’t know. I could be in conversation, but I’m not sure. I would welcome a conversation around it.”Credit: NetflixWhile the earlier comments left fans speculating, Domingo later provided a more definitive update. “I have had a meeting with Marvel, yes. But it wasn’t specifically about anything. They literally sat down and said, ‘What do you want to do?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know. What do you got for me?’ So we’re having engagement, of course,” the actor told Screen Geek.He continued: “Who would not want to be a part of the MCU? I just wouldn’t want it to be right. And something that is created for me and something where I feel like I can give something of myself to. So we’ll find out what that is. I don’t know what it is yet, but I’m patient.”Credit: Marvel StudiosDomingo already has ties to the Marvel universe. In January 2025, he voiced Norman Osborn in the animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.How do you feel about the fallout from the Kang the Conqueror situation? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!The post Marvel Officially Recasts Kang the Conqueror After All appeared first on Inside the Magic.