LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 13: Jonathan Majors attends the Los Angeles premiere of “The…” [+] Harder They Fall” at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on October 13, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
FilmMagic
Jonathan Majors was found guilty of two of the four charges the MCU actor faced after a controversial criminal trial concluded in New York yesterday.
You can read details about the sentencing here.
Within hours, Disney released the actor from his role as the evil, multiversal villain Kang, a role Majors had previously played in Ant-Man 3 and Loki. The plan was to move from Phase 5 of the MCU to Phase 6 with 2026's The Avengers: Kang Dynasty, but that plan may now be scrapped following the Majors' exit and conviction.
The question now is whether Disney will try to recast Kang or simply move on to a new villain. If the latter occurs, the money will be on Doctor Doom, a villain created to do battle with the Fantastic Four and later the X-Men, and overall a better-known antagonist than Kang.
It's possible that Kang's role is now in jeopardy for the foreseeable future due to the assault case and Jonathan Majors' damaged reputation, but it's also possible that Disney and Marvel want to rehabilitate the character with a view to recasting. Here are five possible options for a new and improved Kang, although despite his conviction, there's no doubt that Majors – a hugely talented actor – has some pretty big shoes to fill.
Some great actors – like Mahershala Ali – would be great as Kang, but already have roles planned in the MCU (Abdul-Mateen II is Wonder-Man and Ali is Blade). Michael B. Jordan previously played Erik Killmonger in Black Panther. Idris Elba would be a great Kang, but he's Heimdall. That's why we have to leave these options aside.
My criteria here also include physical details: Mainly, the actor should be a black man who is neither too old nor too young. Kang needs gravitas, so casting someone too young would be a mistake. But if he's too old, he won't be physically intimidating enough without CGI (and we don't need another Thanos). Denzel Washington is the fan favorite here, but at 68 years old I think he may be too old at this point. Other great actors like LaKeith Stanfield just don't have the right physique, although it's possible that this could be counteracted with physical training and costumes.
In any case, here are five of my top picks for recasting Jonathan Majors as Kang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. None of these actors have the electrifying charm of the Majors, but perhaps that's just because they haven't been cast in the right role yet.
Be sure to let me know your number Twitter or Facebook.
1. David Oyelowo
David Oyelowo as Lawman Bass Reeves
Photo credit: Paramount
David Oyelowo is a great actor, but until recently I don't think he would have been on my shortlist for Kang, simply because while he was great in Selma and Apple TV's recent Silo series I never would have guessed that from him being a physically intimidating actor until his recent starring role in Taylor Sheridan's new series Lawmen: Bass Reeves. This role proves that he can do both.
2. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Mr. Eko in Lost
Photo credit: ABC
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje hasn't been around much lately, but I loved him in Lost and I think he has the size, physicality and intimidation factor to be a great Kang. He is five centimeters taller than the majors, but also about twenty years older.
3. Aldis Hodge
Aldis Hodge
Photo credit: Warner Bros
Aldis Hodge played Hawkman in DC's (pretty terrible) Black Adam, and he gained a lot of weight for the role. This means he's already in superhero (or supervillain) form to take on Kang. Hodge is a talented actor, even if his first superhero role didn't give him a chance to spread his wings.
4. Yahya Abdul Mateen II
Yahya Abdul Mateen II
Photo credit: DC
Okay, I know what you're thinking: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – who plays Black Manta in Aquaman – already has an MCU role as Wonder Man in the upcoming series. I have a solution for this: just cancel the show! Or cast Wonder Man as someone else. Because I can only think of few actors who meet so many criteria and represent the perfect Kang replacement. Abdul-Mateen II is a talented actor with the right physique for the role and we already know he can play a villain. Perfect!
5. Casting multiple actors as Kang variants
Mr. Fantastic
Photo credit: Disney
No, I'm not suggesting we cast John Krasinski as Kang. I'm adding his picture for two reasons. Firstly, he has always been a fan favorite of Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic and secondly because he played the role (briefly, almost as a meme) in Dr. Played Strange 2. However, he played a variant of Richards and the lead role will almost certainly go to another actor.
This means that the same character can look completely different in another universe of the multiverse. If that's the case, why not cast a few different Kangs? This would, first and foremost, solve the problem of recasting oddities and give Marvel the opportunity to do some interesting things with the character that a single actor couldn't do. Finally, it softens the stain left on the part by the Majors' entire assault case. Everyone wins! Well, almost everyone.
What do you think? Let me know your thoughts on this Twitter or Facebook.
Check out my video condemning the Majors below: