Kevin Feige Reveals Replacing Kang With Doctor Doom Was Planned for a Long Time

In the upcoming year, Robert Downey Jr., portraying Doctor Doom, will clash with teams like the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men in the movie “Avengers: Doomsday”. Originally, Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU) was planning to introduce Kang the Conqueror as the primary antagonist for the Multiverse Saga. However, a series of events unfolded. Firstly, actor Jonathan Majors, who would play Kang, encountered legal issues. Secondly, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” didn’t perform as well as expected at the box office. Consequently, Marvel changed its plans, with Doctor Doom taking over as the main villain. Interestingly, Marvel’s Kevin Feige hinted in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he was already considering a change from Kang before these events occurred. This is what he stated:

Before the incident involving actor Jonathan Majors occurred, we were already beginning to recognize that Kang wasn’t up to the task, wasn’t like Thanos. We realized there was only one character who could fill such a role because he had been portrayed as such in the comics for many years. Thanks to the Fox acquisition, we finally got the opportunity, and it was Dr. Doom. In fact, discussions about Dr. Doom had started even before we officially shifted our focus from Kang. I had even begun discussing this bold idea with Robert Downey Jr. well before Ant-Man 3 was released. It was a carefully thought-out plan to bring one of our most iconic characters to life with the help of one of our most talented actors.

If the third Ant-Man movie was more successful and Majors didn’t face legal issues, Marvel might not have changed direction as drastically as they did. It’s possible that Robert Downey Jr. could have played Doom alongside Kang in a future Avengers film, as this was how it played out in the original 1984 Secret Wars comics. We’ll see if this bet pays off when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters in December 2026.

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2025-07-22 01:32