'Kang Wasn't Big Enough': Marvel Already Planning Robert Downey Jr. Doctor Doom Pivot Before Jonathan Majors Departure, Kevin Feige Claims

Kevin Feige has discussed Marvel's determination to regenerate Kang arsenic the main villain of Avengers: Doomsday, and said talks with MCU fable Robert Downey Jr. to play Doctor Doom had begun earlier the departure of Jonathan Majors.

Speaking during a roundtable interrogation attended by The Hollywood Reporter, Feige said Marvel's pivot distant from Kang had started earlier "what had happened to the histrion happened" — referencing Majors' ineligible troubles that yet saw him convicted of battle successful December 2023, and dropped by Marvel.

Without referencing Majors by name, Feige said that the "actor"'s departure had not been the sole catalyst for the series' originative changes. Instead, conversations to bring backmost Iron Man prima Robert Downey Jr. arsenic Doctor Doom had begun earlier the nationalist merchandise of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania — a disappointing introduction successful the franchise that was mostly Kang-focused.

"We had started adjacent earlier what had happened to the histrion happened," Feige said. "We had started to recognize that Kang wasn't large enough, wasn't Thanos, and that determination was lone 1 quality that could beryllium that, due to the fact that helium was that successful the comics for decades and decades.

"Because of the Fox acquisition, we yet had it, and it was Dr. Doom. So we had started talking astir Dr. Doom adjacent earlier we officially pivoted from Kang," Feige continued.

"And successful fact, I had started talking with Robert [Downey Jr.] astir this audacious thought earlier Ant-Man 3 adjacent came out. It was a agelong program that we had, to instrumentality 1 of our top characters and utilize 1 of our top actors."

It's worthy taking a infinitesimal to see the timeline being discussed here. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania launched successful February 2023, a period earlier Majors was arrested for battle and harassment charges. At this point, the adjacent Avengers movie was inactive titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and Quantumania was being billed arsenic a cardinal quality of Marvel's adjacent Thanos-level Big Bad, successful the run-up to it.

What Feige's saying, then, is that Kang's presumption was already being questioned down the scenes anterior to Majors' arrest, and earlier audiences saw the character's biggest quality yet successful Quantumania. Indeed, Feige states that the thought to bring successful Doctor Doom was acold capable on by this constituent that helium was already talking to Downey Jr. — though what's little wide is precisely when Doom was being lined up to regenerate Kang. Would it person inactive happened arsenic rapidly — and would Marvel person inactive retitled the adjacent Avengers arsenic Doomsday — without Majors' Marvel vocation coming to specified an abrupt end?

Over the people of 2023, arsenic Majors awaited trial, respective reports emerged suggesting Marvel was present eyeing Doctor Doom arsenic its adjacent Endgame-style villain, with Majors' relation downgraded — though not wholly eradicated — pursuing Quantumania's mediocre container bureau performance.

It wasn't until July 2024, astatine San Diego Comic-Con, that Marvel publically announced its caller plans, with Kang Dynasty retitled Avengers: Doomsday, Downey Jr. revealed arsenic Doctor Doom, and the Russo brothers confirmed arsenic directing some Doomsday and the consequent Avengers: Secret Wars.

It's inactive unclear however Kang's lack successful the MCU volition beryllium addressed going guardant — if astatine all. The quality was past seen successful the finale of Disney+ bid Loki, successful an quality that brought immoderate closure to 1 incarnation of the character, portion leaving the menace of galore different multiversal Kangs (as seen successful Quantumania) thing of a escaped thread. Perhaps Avengers: Doomsday volition statesman with Doctor Doom lasting implicit a country of fallen Kang variants, instantly asseting his superiority? Or possibly Kang volition simply ne'er beryllium mentioned again.

Speaking successful the aforesaid interrogation this past weekend, Feige besides revealed that Sony has told Marvel to "stay away" from a live-action Miles Morales Spider-Man, and that Secret Wars would enactment arsenic a "reset" for the MCU — aft which, the X-Men would beryllium recast.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social