Marvel Finally Reveals Its New Kang the Conqueror After Confirming Recast
Marvel Studios has officially introduced a new actor to play Kang the Conqueror, though not in the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe many fans expected.
As Marvel Studios prepares to close out its Multiverse Saga with Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), Doctor Doom has replaced Kang the Conqueror as the franchise’s central antagonist. Robert Downey Jr.’s return to Marvel as Victor Von Doom marked one of the studio’s biggest announcements in recent memory, but the shift also left lingering questions about the fate of Kang, a character once positioned as the next Thanos-level threat.
Marvel’s post-Avengers: Endgame (2019) era has produced a mixed run of theatrical releases. While Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) delivered impressive commercial success, several more recent films have struggled to generate similar momentum. Captain America: Brave New World (2025), Thunderbolts* (2025), and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) all fell below the blockbuster expectations traditionally associated with the MCU.
The studio’s long-term plans changed significantly following Jonathan Majors’ departure. Majors had portrayed several Kang variants across Marvel projects and was originally expected to lead the Multiverse Saga as its primary villain before his exit from the franchise after a widely publicized legal dispute involving former partner Grace Jabbari, who filed claims including battery, assault, malicious prosecution, and defamation.
Marvel formally confirmed its creative reset during San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Kevin Feige revealed that Anthony and Joe Russo would direct Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), replacing the previously announced Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. The announcement also included Downey’s unexpected return, though instead of reprising Tony Stark, the Oscar-winning actor would portray Doctor Doom following his Academy Award-winning performance in Oppenheimer (2023).
The decision naturally fueled speculation over Kang’s future. The character last appeared in the MCU through Victor Timely during Loki Season 2 after making his theatrical return in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), where Kang confronted Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly). Since Marvel abandoned its Kang-focused storyline, fans have continued debating whether the villain would eventually return with a different actor.
In 2025, Kevin Feige maintained that Marvel’s decision to pivot toward Doctor Doom predated Jonathan Majors’ legal issues.
“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.”
“In 2023, I was working on Season 2 of #xmen97 who has Kang in it. Majors was definitely who would’ve voiced the character,” DeMayo posted on social media at the time. “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 definitely the game plan and the studio was afraid.”
DeMayo also revealed that, after Majors’ legal situation emerged, Marvel moved ahead with recasting Kang for animation while uncertainty remained around the live-action character.
“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,” he added. “I then [cast] John de Lancie as #Kang as I felt Q would be a great template for him in animated form.”
That decision has now reached audiences. X-Men ’97 Season 2 debuted its first three episodes on Disney+ on July 1, officially introducing John de Lancie as the Rama-Tut incarnation of Kang.
“This version of Rama-Tut is clearly not played by Jonathan Majors,” The Direct reports. “Instead, Star Trek: The Next Generation actor John de Lancie now brings Kang to life in X-Men ’97 Season 2, completely retconning a major Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania decision that every Kang Variant in the MCU Multiverse looks exactly like Majors.”
According to the outlet, Rama-Tut closely resembles his classic Marvel Comics appearance, wearing the signature green-and-gold pharaoh-inspired costume.
While John de Lancie has now become Marvel Studios’ newest Kang performer through animation, it remains unclear whether this interpretation will have any impact on the live-action MCU. For now, Marvel’s attention appears firmly fixed on Doctor Doom as the studio charts the next phase of its cinematic future.
How do you feel about the shift from Kang the Conqueror to Doctor Doom? Let us know in the comments down below!
