Summary

Fans are considering Denzel Washington as a potential recast for Kang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe due to his talent and the desire to see him in a Marvel movie. There are no current plans to replace Jonathan Majors as Kang, but the outcome of his domestic abuse trial may impact his future in the franchise. The role of Kang is integral to the multiverse saga, and if a decision is made to recast, now would be the appropriate time to do so. However, Washington’s involvement is unlikely given the current state of the franchise.

The firing of Jonathan Majors from his role as the MCU’s Kang, following the actor being found guilty of assault and harassment in a recent trial, fans have been quick to make suggestions as to who could replace the actor as Kang the Conqueror. While there has still been no word on whether Kang will be recast or replaced entirely in the franchise, one name that quickly became popular among fans was former Star Wars actor John Boyega.

However, the actor’s history with Marvel Studios owner Disney is well documented, and even before the firing of Majors, Boyega had seemingly already responded to the idea of joining the Marvel franchise. In a post shared on X/Twitter by Culture Crave, the actor used a meme of Donkey from Shrek to make his feeling about such a move very clear when being asked by a fan about the role.

For those who don’t have long enough memories, Boyega previously called out Disney over his treatment during his time as part of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, feeling that his character of Finn was marketed as a big part of the movies only to be then sidelined. Having since commented that he is now “more comfortable” with the franchise and his role in it, being able to watch and enjoy shows like The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi, it seems that his feelings about working for Disney again remain resolute.

For that reason, many fans have started coming up with other ideas for Kang to be reborn, and a new piece of fan art has revealed what another popular recast could look like. Denzel Washington is an actor who has done everything…except a Marvel movie. So, for that reason alone, there are some who would love to see the Oscar-winner step into the shoes of Majors and take over the role of Kang for the next phase of Marvel movies. Thanks to Instagram user 21xfour, we can get an idea of what it would look like if Washington did decide to dip his toes into the MCU and take on the multi-movie-spanning role of Kang.

There are, of course, no current plans for Majors to be replaced in the franchise, at least none that have been made public. Having said that, Marvel Studios has seemingly put a pause on their output for the next year, with only Deadpool 3 scheduled for release in 2024. Currently, Jonathan Majors is on trial for an alleged assault on his former girlfriend, with the hearing expected to come to an end in just over a week’s time. The result of that trial could very well decide the actor’s MCU fate, and open the door for other actors to be considered for the role, but that is something that will be resolved one way or the other in the coming months.

Related: Loki Producer Says Jonathan Majors’ Arrest had No Impact on Latest MCU Appearance

Will Marvel Studios Replace Kang as the MCU’s Big Bad?
Marvel Comics.

While there have been plenty of rumors about what may or may not happen with the upcoming slate of multiverse movies within the MCU, there has been nothing made official one way or the other when it comes to the future of Kang as this saga’s main antagonist.

Previous reports have suggested that Marvel Studios has been considering replacing Kang with another iconic villain, Doctor Doom, but that is something that seems to have been debunked as many times as it has been mentioned. There has been a lot of investment put into Kang’s place in the multiverse, it is hard to see how the saga could continue without the time-manipulating villain being at its heart.

Naturally, if there is a decision taken to replace Kang completely, now would be the time to do it. Season two of Loki ended with the TVA keeping tabs on all Kang threats across the multiverse and seemingly being ready to step in if any get out of hand. Other than the post-credits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which saw hundreds of Kang variants congregating in the same place, there are no other references to the villain currently in play.

When it comes to recasting Kang, then there is little doubt that a star of Denzel Washington’s calibre would be able to bring an unparalleled gravitas to the role. However, the idea of Washington wanting to join the franchise in its current state of disrepair is a little hard to see being on the cards. Now that Majors is officially out of the franchise, fans can only wait to see what happens next.

You can check out our interview with Boyega (and Teyonah Parris) from one of our favorite 2023 films, They Cloned Tyrone, below: