The MCU wanted Kang the Conqueror to be the next Thanos, but I’m still not convinced he killed Thor as he said he did. Originally, Marvel’s Multiverse Saga was centered around Kang as its main villain. When it was first announced, Avengers: Doomsday was тιтled The Kang Dynasty, but several factors led to Marvel pivoting to Doctor Doom. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania underperformed with audiences, hinting that viewers weren’t invested in Marvel’s Kang storyline. Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles also left the studio in a challenging position about what to do with the character.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was supposed to be a game-changer in Marvel’s Multiverse Saga. Loki season 1 ended with He Who Remains warning Loki and Sylvie about how dangerous Kang and his variants are and Quantumania was meant to introduce his most powerful variant. However, audiences weren’t intimidated by Kang, and his statement that he killed the Avengers in other universes wasn’t convincing, especially when one of those Avengers was Thor.
Kang Said He Defeated Thor In Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania
Marvel wanted to establish Kang as the next Thanos by claiming he was more powerful than the Mad тιтan. In Quantumania, it’s revealed that Kang conquered numerous universes, killing the Avengers that existed in those timelines. After capturing Scott Lang, Kang tells him, “You’re an Avenger. Have I Killed you before?… They all blur together after a while. You’re not the one with the hammer?” It’s unclear if Kang has encountered an Ant-Man before, but his statement indicates that he’s fought and killed the Avengers so many times he forgets some of them.
He also references a hammer, inferring that he has killed a variant of Thor, possibly more than one. While killing Thor is impressive, Kang’s statement failed to make him more menacing, since Marvel didn’t show it. Avengers: Infinity War starts with Thanos neutralizing Hulk with his bare hands and killing Loki, immediately telling viewers that Thanos is a mᴀssive threat. Kang can tell us all day about how he killed Thor and the Avengers, but unless we see it, it’s hard to believe it happened, especially when he struggles to beat Ant-Man.
Ant-Man Defeating Kang Makes His Thor Comment Seem Too Hard To Believe
Ant-Man is stronger than we might give him credit for. While Scott Lang is a bit of a goofball, he’s very clever, and his ability to shrink and grow gives him a size and strength advantage depending on the situation. However, Ant-Man should have been an easy target for Kang if he defeated Thor. Watching him get thwarted by an army of intelligent ants doesn’t help his claim that he killed the Avengers in other universes.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania made it too easy for Ant-Man to defeat Kang, and that’s part of the reason why Marvel’s Multiverse Saga has been messy. It’s hard for viewers to be scared of Kang when they see him get killed by Ant-Man. Yes, there is a looming danger of more of his variants, but if he’s supposedly the most powerful one, then characters like Thor, Captain Marvel, or Doctor Strange, shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Thunderbolts*
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027