What to do with Kang the Conqueror? This must be the biggest question in the writing rooms of Marvel Studios ever since Jonathan Majors found himself in the middle of an assault controversy. Now that the court has rendered its verdict on the case, Marvel Studios has gone back to the drawing board to come up with a solution for its “Kang problem.”
On Christmas Day, fans got a bit of a collective present from the leak pipes. Popular Marvel scooper @MyTimeToShineH posted a tweet on X, stating, “Beyonder is still the main villain for Secret Wars that will be their excuse to recast Kang.”
Essentially, this means that the only person who will be leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the actor Jonathan Majors, not his character Kang. Given the resources and commitment Marvel has put into the Kang character, it makes sense why the studio would be hesitant to write him off entirely. Plus, you know, with all this variant business they have the easiest excuse to recast ever.
Yesterday, another insider, @Cryptic4KQual, confirmed MTTSH’s leak, adding, “Yes, and what i heard is they won’t explicity present him as Beyonder Kang until the aftermath of the 616 collapse, when he will then go on to establish battleworld.” [sic]
Beyonder Kang? 616 collapse, and Battleworld? These are all pretty deep in the Marvel sauce, since the MCU has long moved beyond surface level source material. It’s easy to get lost in all this information if you’re not a big fan of the comics, but don’t worry; we’ll do our best to bridge this gap.
First things first, who is the Beyonder? The fictional entity has always been a bit of a mystery, shrouded in secrets as deep and intriguing as the character itself. When he first showed up, the only hint about his identity was him claiming he was “from beyond” and not tied down by the same rules as our universe.
As time went by, his backstory got more layers, but one thing that’s never changed is his incredible power. He can manipulate matter, time, and energy without breaking a sweat, a feat that transcends mortal comprehension. It’s not a stretch to say that The Beyonder’s powers make him a force akin to a living, breathing universe.
If you’ve seen the numbers 616 used more than once in the MCU, that’s because they refer to Earth-616, the primary continuity in which Marvel Comics occur. The “616 collapse” that @Cryptic4KQual mentions might be a reference to an incursion-like event, such as the one we witnessed in the Loki series, which results in the annihilation of the Marvel Universe. This is where The Beyonder comes in.
In the comics, he first appears during Secret Wars, where he summons (well, more like kidnaps) Earth’s greatest heroes and villains to Battleworld, a patchwork planet of his own creation. There, he pits them against each other, with the goal of understanding the complex concept of good and evil, as he finds himself fascinated by humans’ inner struggles.
According to how the leaker describes the plot of the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars, Beyonder will be revealed to be another Kang variant, after which he will move to create Battleworld. Obviously, comic fans will not be too pleased that The Beyonder is being retconned into the MCU. However, there’s a case to make about why this approach is a good idea.
I may not like what the MCU has become, but I can appreciate the fact that planning an ambitious cinematic universe like the MCU takes time, energy, and a great deal of money. Unfortunately, no one could have planned for Majors using his fists instead of his words. With the cards that Marvel was dealt, I must admit it’s done some pretty impressive damage control.
Given the circumstances, trying to pivot an entire storyline – with multiple films and a multiverse tied to it – just to write off a character seems ludicrous. For Marvel, Kang was always the next big baddie after Thanos, and nothing was ever going to change that.
Separating the character from the man, Majors did a bang-up job bringing Kang to life, and Marvel knows this. The emotional weight Kang bears can be put to good use despite Majors’ exit from the MCU.
The Beyonder is a whole new character, and his motivations are not that easy for audiences to digest. Having him introduced as a Kang variant helps viewers make an easier connection to his origins without the 10-minute exposition that filmmakers have to rely on.
It might not be the most ideal way to bring The Beyonder into the MCU, but at the very least, it’s a palatable compromise for me. Avengers: Secret Wars will storm theaters on May 7, 2027.
