Kevin Feige Reveals Dr. Doom Was Planned to Replace Kang Long Before Jonathan Majors’ Controversy

by

In a recent conversation, Marvel Studios’ chief executive, Kevin Feige, shared insights regarding the change from Kang the Conqueror to Doctor Doom serving as the primary antagonist in upcoming Avengers films.

Contrary to what some fans might believe, who assumed the shift occurred following the publicity surrounding Jonathan Majors‘ legal issues, Feige clarified that the decision to introduce Dr. Doom had been underway long before those events took place.

Initially, it was planned that Kang would be the primary antagonist in the Avengers films, an announcement made at Comic-Con as far back as 2019. However, when Majors was arrested in early 2023 on charges of assaulting his girlfriend at the time, doubts arose about his future involvement with Marvel.

Feige stated earlier, “Before the actor’s incident, we were already recognizing that Kang wasn’t like Thanos. He further mentioned that only one antagonist could embody the role of an ultimate threat akin to Thanos, and that was Dr. Doom. With Marvel securing the Fox characters, they now had the opportunity to introduce Doom into the MCU.

Feige mentioned that discussions about Dr. Doom were already underway prior to our formal shift from Kang. Interestingly, conversations regarding this bold concept with Robert Downey Jr. had begun before the release of Ant-Man 3.

Trouble started for Jonathan Majors following the release of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” where he portrayed Kang the Conqueror. Initially, his character was introduced as a variant named He Who Remains in Season 1 of Loki, initially planned to be the main antagonist throughout the Multiverse Saga.

Following his arrest in March 2023, a series of events unfolded that led to a significant decline in Majors’ career. He was removed from multiple projects, lost the support of his management and public relations teams, and advertisements showcasing him were withdrawn.

Regardless of his persistent claims of innocence and efforts to provide evidence supporting this, public sentiment shifted negatively towards him. By December, following a conviction, Disney ultimately terminated his employment.

Due to this development, Marvel decided to overhaul their original schemes significantly. Instead of Majors’ Kang, it will be Robert Downey Jr.’s character, Doctor Doom, who will be the primary antagonist in the forthcoming Avengers movies.

Previously, some experts in the field had speculated that Kang might be removed from future projects due to poor audience reception of Quantumania. However, it appears that Marvel’s decision to distance itself from Kang happened prior to the emergence of any legal problems involving the Majors. Feige’s statements have now made this clear.

According to Kevin Feige’s recent statement, it appears that Marvel has been strategically setting up a shift in direction, implying that the introduction of Doctor Doom was not merely a response to recent controversies, but rather a carefully thought-out move in a long-term scheme.

Read More

2025-07-21 13:46