Movies

Marvel Wanted to Replace Kang Before ‘Quantumania’ Came Out

BBG News

Initially, during the inception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios devised a strategy and generally adhered to it.

Lately, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) hasn’t run as smoothly as planned. A significant part of the plot has been the “Multiverse Saga,” which centers around the villain Kang, a time-traveling warlord. However, the actor portraying Kang, Jonathan Majors, was arrested and later convicted for assault in New York City. Consequently, Majors was dismissed from his role, and the movie originally titled “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” is now expected to be called “Avengers: Doomsday“. The main antagonist has been changed to Doctor Doom, who will be played by returning Marvel actor Robert Downey Jr.

It appears that the public had only been aware of a certain timeline regarding Kang, but according to Kevin Feige’s recent interview with Variety, Feige had already started considering replacing Kang prior to its full debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Moreover, he mentioned that discussions about Robert Downey Jr playing Doom were ongoing even before Majors was dismissed from the role.

He mentioned that it became clear Kang wasn’t the right fit, not like Thanos, and there was a character who perfectly matched this role due to his long-standing comic book persona. He explained they had been discussing Doctor Doom as an alternative well before they officially shifted from Kang. Intriguingly, he had even started brainstorming this bold concept with Robert prior to the release of Quantumania.

Doctor Doom is unquestionably a more prominent and well-recognized Marvel antagonist compared to Kang. However, it’s important to note that Kang isn’t insignificant either. In fact, much like Thanos, who gained widespread recognition due to the MCU, Kang might have become equally significant with the right casting and storyline. Regrettably, events didn’t unfold as we hoped they would for Kang.

The essence of this experience reiterates something we’re familiar with, yet it might slip our minds more often than necessary. The Infinity Saga was a longshot to accomplish, as any mishap, legal issue, or unfortunate event like Chadwick Boseman’s passing, or even simple miscasting could significantly alter the course of events. Every decision in these fictional worlds carries immense weight.

This weekend sees the theater release of Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Footsteps.” Meanwhile, “Avengers: Doomsday” has been slated for a theater premiere on December 18, 2026.

The Worst Movies of 2025 So Far

8. Snow White

Disney did an impressive job of making “Snow White” appear non-musical, so much so that I didn’t realize it was a musical until we were seated in the theater. Interestingly, one of the standout aspects of this live-action remake turned out to be its music, and I even found myself appreciating Gal Gadot’s portrayal of the wicked Evil Queen. However, the CGI Seven Dwarfs in this “Snow White” were strikingly unrealistic and strange – particularly Dopey, who seemed like he was designed by an AI following the prompt “imagine what Alfred E Neuman would look like as a modern man.” Scenes involving these characters, along with all the forced attempts to make Snow White more proactive (despite her needing to sleep in the third act because it’s a remake) detracted from an otherwise visually appealing and musically enjoyable film.

7. The Alto Knights

In the movie “The Alto Knights,” it’s puzzling as to why Robert De Niro took on both leading roles. Casting an actor as twins, siblings, or even a father and son at similar ages is understandable. However, in this case, De Niro portrayed two unrelated men, which seemed more of a distraction than an enrichment to the film. This unusual decision didn’t add anything significant to “The Alto Knights,” except perhaps as a marketing tool, since Warner Bros. could promote the movie as an opportunity to witness Robert De Niro facing off against himself. Apart from this gimmick, there wasn’t much notable about this uninspiring gangster film, penned by Nicholas Pileggi (of “Goodfellas” fame) and directed by Barry Levinson.

6. Opus

In simpler terms, the movie “Opus” is a letdown from the A24 horror industrial complex. The story revolves around a novice magazine journalist (Ayo Edebiri from “The Bear”) who receives an invitation to the comeback album launch of a ’90s pop icon turned recluse, played by John Malkovich, who seems somewhat miscast for this role. The pop star resides on a sprawling estate filled with sycophants.

Nowadays, there’s a growing interest in examining the nature of cults. However, “Opus” doesn’t exactly break new ground in this regard. Movies like “Midsommar,” “Hereditary,” “The Master,” and “The Menu” have already delved into this concept quite recently. Sadly, “Opus” fails to offer anything fresh, even during the dinner scene where the pop star’s followers take turns eating from a single roll of bread. In essence, watching “Opus” after these other movies feels like picking through leftovers.

5. Love Hurts

The most disappointing film of the year thus far has been “Love Hurts,” which halted Ke Huy Quan’s promising career resurgence. It’s not Quan who’s at fault; he delivers a commendable performance as a former assassin compelled to return to his old ways to safeguard the woman he adores, portrayed by Ariana DeBose. Despite Quan’s compelling portrayal of an underdog action hero, the rest of the movie falls flat and appears to have been severely edited (it barely runs 80 minutes including credits). The script lacks depth to explain why Quan and DeBose’s characters would develop feelings for each other, given their contrasting personalities, aspirations, and age difference (DeBose is nearly two decades younger than Quan).

4. Fountain of Youth

In simpler terms, even with an impressive cast like John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Guy Ritchie, and others, this film doesn’t feel authentic. It seems more like a high-budget screensaver that plays on your TV, but it’s so dull and predictable that it feels almost as if it was designed not to be watched. The plot revolves around estranged siblings Krasinski and Portman searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth. The movie is a blend of Indiana Jones, Uncharted, and a rather uneventful commercial for Banana Republic. It seems this film heavily relies on viewers who have already paid for a subscription service and are merely looking to watch something to validate their expenditure.

3. Hurry Up Tomorrow

As a passionate movie enthusiast, I’ve always admired the glamorous life of renowned recording artists. However, the film “Hurry Up Tomorrow” offers an intriguing perspective – maybe it’s not all glitz and glamour. Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, portrays a melancholic version of himself in this film. From what I gathered, his life is dominated by sporadic music performances, dreary parties with his manager (Barry Keoghan’s character who seems to lack depth), and scenes where he is seen weeping in front of a mirror. Adding to the narrative is a subplot about an obsessive fan, played by Jenna Ortega, who kidnaps Tesfaye. That’s essentially the entire plot of this seemingly endless, gloomy journey. If The Weeknd ever thinks being a rock star is tough, he should consider taking up film criticism!

2. The Electric State

The Netflix film titled “The Electric State,” produced by the Russo brothers and reportedly costing $320 million, has been met with mixed reactions. Some believe that such a substantial investment may have been excessive. Regardless of its budget, there’s a sense that Netflix didn’t get their money’s worth. The film’s visual aesthetics are criticized for being unappealing, with character designs appearing flat and generic, while the overall visuals lack vibrancy.

The story follows a young woman (Millie Bobby Brown) on a quest to find her brother in a post-robot world. Chris Pratt lends his action-hero persona to the film, but his unusual haircut and the illogical central mythology (derived from an unread book by me) make it hard for viewers to engage. If the narrative were at least visually engaging, one might be able to overlook its strangeness. However, this is unfortunately not the case.

1. Star Trek: Section 31

Although I haven’t had the chance to catch every episode from each Star Trek television series, I’ve managed to watch all the franchise’s feature films. Regrettably, Star Trek: Section 31 stands out as the weakest among them. The visuals are lackluster, the dialogue is poor, and the action sequences are chaotic. What makes this particularly disappointing is that it appears to think that spaceships, phasers, tricorders, and other specific alien races define Star Trek, when its core values have always been optimism and intellectual exploration. Frankly, who would want a Star Trek series as shallow as most science fiction?

In the past, Star Trek paved the way for others in this genre; franchises looked to it for original characters, storylines, and aesthetics they could emulate. However, based on Section 31—which seems like a cheap imitation of Guardians of the Galaxy produced for television—it’s clear that those days are gone.

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2025-07-21 16:55

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