Originally Posted by ThaVirus:
How would this ending help them write out Majors? Loki destroyed the loom, which allows the Kang variants to run amok and start their multiversal war.
I mean, it’s Disney. They could write Majors out in a million different ways and still make billions. I just don’t see how people think this ending would make that easier in any way.
Well they wrote it in such a way as to completely close HWR's story. Timely wasn't gifted the handbook as a child and HWR no longer controls the timelines at the end of time because of Loki.
That makes it easier to get rid of Majors if they have to. There were no cliffhangers here. [Reply]
Originally Posted by GloucesterChief:
Kang is like the easiest character to actor swap. Just have another actor be Kang and say they are a variant.
Right.l that’s why I don’t understand when people say this ending made it easy.
It was already easy lol they literally showed a stadium full of Kangs and one of them was like some lizard alien looking dude. Sylvie is a female Loki variant, we’ve seen frog Thor variants, an Indian Spider-Man, and an alligator Loki variant.
With infinite realities they could have written Majors out at any time. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ThaVirus:
Right.l that’s why I don’t understand when people say this ending made it easy.
It was already easy lol they literally showed a stadium full of Kangs and one of them was like some lizard alien looking dude. Sylvie is a female Loki variant, we’ve seen frog Thor variants, an Indian Spider-Man, and an alligator Loki variant.
With infinite realities they could have written Majors out at any time.
You don't see that not ending this series on a cliffhanger in the greater saga with Majors' HWR character doesn't make it easier for them to just cut him out? There is nothing hinging on him at all now. [Reply]
Originally Posted by :
The 'Loki' season 2 finale may have just solved Marvel's Jonathan Majors problem
The "Loki" season two finale may have changed everything for Marvel's multiverse and its Jonathan Majors problem.
Since 2021, the multiverse has been the next big venture for the MCU, and Majors was expected to be the franchise's new big bad, playing the time-traveling villain, Kang the Conqueror.
In March, that plan hit a stumbling block when Majors was arrested in connection with a domestic dispute. The actor's management, PR firms, and multiple projects subsequently dropped him.
Marvel Studios has yet to issue a definitive statement on Majors' future in the MCU, but the actor appeared in the latest season of "Loki," which was filmed prior to his arrest.
Should Marvel need an out from Majors playing the MCU's next big villain, Thursday's "Loki" season two finale could be the solution.
In the episode, Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, decides to take matters into his own hands after a season of trying to keep the multiverse functioning without pruning — destroying — entire timelines.
After gaining new abilities from his time-hopping adventures, Loki takes control of the multiverse with his bare hands, and he now sits at the end of time, holding the multiverse together for the rest of his existence.
Here's why this plot development could solve the MCU's Majors problem.
There is a small hint in the finale that indicates that the new multiverse may be a little different with Loki in charge.
Earlier in season two, the show established that Victor Timely created the Time Variance Authority and its machinery after learning from a TVA handbook he received as a child. That handbook came from the TVA itself, which caused a slightly confusing chicken-or-egg situation.
In the finale, we return to the scene with young Timely, but he doesn't receive the book this time. Of course, Timely is just one of many Kang variants — versions of Kang from different timelines — but this scene at least indicates some changes to the timeline under Loki's guardianship.
It may be a bit of a cop-out, but Marvel could use this opportunity to erase the "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" post-credits scene that introduced all the Kang variants.
With Loki now in charge of the multiverse, they could easily explain that Kang wasn't able to gain as much power as he did pre-Loki.
The finale wouldn't completely erase the events of "Quantumania," because the battle between Kang and Ant-Man appears to be referenced in the final moments of the episode between Mobius, played by Owen Wilson, and B-15, played by Wunmi Mosaku.
In the scene, Mobius says that there is only one Kang variant threat in a "616-adjacent realm," which could be a reference to the Quantum Realm. That Kang was defeated just like the Kang in "Quantumania."
If "Quantumania" Kang is the only variant on their radar, that could mean the larger Kang threat is neutralized for now.
If Marvel chooses to part ways with Majors, the "Loki" finale paves the way for a few different solutions to replace him as the MCU's big bad in the upcoming "Avengers" movies.
Considering that Loki is seemingly now in control of the multiverse and has already started meddling with Kang variants like Timely, Marvel could use this as a pretext to explain recasting Majors.
"Why does Kang look different?"
"Because Loki's trying to keep the timeline free from chaos, and this variant comes from a brand-new timeline."
Alternatively, Marvel could downsize Kang's role altogether and shift to a new villain to antagonize the Avengers in 2027's "Secret Wars."
Say hello to everyone's favorite Latverian dictator, Doctor Doom.
Variety recently reported that Marvel bosses discussed making the "Fantastic Four" baddie the MCU's new villain during a company retreat in September.
Granted, this could still cause a bit of a headache because, before "Secret Wars," the heroes of the MCU are first expected to assemble in 2026's "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty."
If Marvel does switch things up, that movie may need a new title and overall direction.
But with the Fantastic Four soon set to join the MCU in their own movie in 2025, their adventure could serve as a launching pad to set up Doctor Doom as the villain of the 2026 and 2027 "Avengers" movies.
Watch this space.
Seems I'm not the only one with this take unsurprisingly. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KC_Connection:
You don't see that not ending this series on a cliffhanger in the greater saga with Majors' HWR character doesn't make it easier for them to just cut him out? There is nothing hinging on him at all now.
How did it not end on a cliffhanger? The Kang variants are on the loose; they even discussed that in the final scene at the new TVA.
Originally Posted by ThaVirus:
How did it not end on a cliffhanger? The Kang variants are on the loose; they even discussed that in the final scene at the new TVA.
Loki's story is done (at least this variant). Most importantly for Majors going forward, HWR's story is done. The stories of all the other characters in this show...all done. For me, this was the furthest thing from a cliffhanger they could have written. There was closure here, which was something I didn't expect at all considering past MCU shows.
Originally Posted by :
I’m saying it was always easy to write out Majors.
And it gets even easier when HWR's story was effectively closed here. [Reply]
Originally Posted by :
Does The Loki Season 2 Finale Make It Easier To Replace Jonathan Majors As Marvel's Kang?
For six whole episodes, fans have had to wait with baited breath to see how the Kang-sized shadow at the center of "Loki" season 2 might complicate an already unenviable and possibly untenable situation. Ever since the news first came down that actor Jonathan Majors had been accused of assault, both Marvel Studios and the moviegoing public alike have remained in a state of suspended animation. Obviously, nothing is more important than the safety of the alleged victim and ensuring that nobody in Majors' circles is ever put at risk.*(The assault case, which a judge refused to dismiss despite the attempts of Majors' legal team, will move to trial on November 29, 2023.)*From a business perspective, however, the choice to gamble practically the entirety of the next phase on the threat of Kang looks worse and worse in retrospect.
But just as it seemed like season 2 would make an even bigger mess of things, awkwardly doubling down on Majors' Kang in a way that would be all but impossible for Marvel to extricate itself from, the ending of the season 2 finale shook things up. Although the villain appears prominently throughout the episode as Loki (Tom Hiddleston) flashes back to the events of the season 1 finale, the ultimate conclusion turns out to be about finding a way to remove Kang from the equation altogether. And as Loki took up his new "throne" at the end of time and lived up to his godlike title by weaving the timeline threads together in a makeshift temporal loom of his own, fans slowly realized the door may be open for a Kang-less future, after all — or, at least, one without Majors' involvement. The following theories explain how.
This first one's as straightforward as it gets. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has already established the idea of different actors playing the same role — not just through the recasting of Edward Norton's Bruce Banner after "The Incredible*Hulk" or Terrence Howard after "Iron Man 2," but also through the multiverse itself. After John Krasinski's cameo as an alternate-universe Reed Richards in "Doctor*Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" and the, uh, bloody way that appearance ultimately went down, Marvel now has a built-in excuse to recast any character as they see fit.*This includes getting out from under the looming specter of Majors' Kang.*Just pin it on the multiverse!
Now that He Who Remains is officially dead, the "Loki" finale depicts the remaining members of the Time Variance Authority as shockingly unconcerned about the leftover threat of Kang's variants. Near the end, Hunter B-15*(Wunmi Mosaku) and Mobius (Owen Wilson) almost nonchalantly discuss the events of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," casually alluding to the fact that Kang the Conqueror was "dealt with" and not even worth the TVA lifting a pinky to intervene. This almost feels like a tacit admission that having the franchise's pint-sized heroes thoroughly kick Kang's butt in his very first big-screen appearance didn't exactly establish him as much of a threat. In that case, debuting a completely different Kang who replaces these weaker variants with superior ones of his own feels like a no-brainer.
Sure, there's the pesky issue of that "Quantumania" post-credits stinger, which established the Council of Kangs and thousands of variants who look exactly like Majors ... but that's one MCU continuity error I*have zero issue overlooking.
Stick with me here. Who's to say that Kang has to be considered the next Thanos-level supervillain, anyway? Sure, I*know, "Avengers:*Kang Dynasty" would need a slight title update, but it's not like Marvel's never done that before. So what if "Loki" season 2 just made it so that Kang need not even factor into the future of the franchise at all and instead pivot to a completely different character?
The obvious replacement would be someone like Dr. Doom, whom Marvel obviously has the rights to following Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Intriguingly, it appears that this possibility has already been discussed by higher-ups, according to previous /Film reporting. As the franchise gears up for the introduction of both the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, wouldn't this be the perfect time for Kevin Feige to do what he does best and adjust on the fly? Contrary to popular belief, the MCU didn't come into being as a fully-formed, pre-planned phenomenon. If the early movies had flopped, Loki never would've been the main villain of "The Avengers." (Rumors posit that honor would've gone to Red Skull instead, wildly enough.) Nothing's stopping Feige from pulling a similar move here.
The less-obvious solution could be hiding in plain sight, at least according to another fun theory. Critic Alan Sepinwall suggests one "crackpot" idea: Folks, meet Loki Who Remains. I know, everybody loves his redemption story and season 2 certainly ended on a satisfying note ... but what if Marvel decided to restore its original antagonist to all his villainous glory? Having essentially become the new He Who Remains, Loki would be an easy option to take up Kang's mantle. Controversial? Sure. Fun? You bet.
Only time will tell how Marvel ultimately addresses its Kang problem.
Found another person who isn't getting it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by :
The Loki season 2 finale might have actually solved Marvel’s Kang problem
The Loki season 2 finale brought a natural conclusion to many storylines from the show, but the biggest feat might be the show solving Marvel’s Kang problem.
When it comes to amazing characters, one cannot deny that Johnathan Majors has done a phenomenal job in bringing to life Kang and his many variants across his short time in the MCU. His performance has been chilling and had audiences excited to see what Marvel might be able to accomplish with Kang at the center of its upcoming phases.
Marvel was prepared to build its upcoming phases around Majors’ Kang, who is slated to face off against the Avengers in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
However, that was before Majors found himself at the heart of a domestic abuse scandal and facing misdemeanor charges of assault and harassment.
Jonathan Majors had already filmed Loki season 2 before his arrest
Majors was arrested on March 25 in New York City after police responded to a 911 call to a domestic dispute with his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. According to NPR, Majors is accused of “pulling her finger, twisting her arm, hitting her and pushing her into a vehicle so violently, she fell on the pavement” with police reporting she was “treated at a hospital for minor injuries.”
On Nov. 29, the trial against Majors will begin with the actor facing misdemeanor charges of assault and harassment. If convicted, he could face up to a year in jail.
Following the initial incident, Deadline revealed that Majors’ management company, Entertainment 360, and PR firm, The Lede Company, both dropped the rising star and severed their connection to the actor.
Marvel, meanwhile took a wait-and-see approach instead with Marvel Studios opting not to comment on the accusations against Major or to pull Loki from its schedule due to the fact that filming had already wrapped on the show by the time the news broke.
Variety alleges Marvel does not see a path to how they move forward with Kang
As the months passed, Marvel remained mum on the Jonathan Majors scandal, opting not to discuss their plans or any actions being taken in response to the allegations and charges Majors faces. However, it seems behind closed doors there have been many discussions about the future of the MCU.
In a shocking report from Variety, it was alleged that in September, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige met with a group of Marvel creators for an annual company retreat where the top brass had many discussions about backup plans for the MCU in relation to Majors and Kang.
The report alleged that Marvel was considering replacing Kang with Doctor Doom and was not against recasting the role of Kang, with the biggest concern being that Majors already has had such a big presence in the MCU and was positioned as the franchise’s next “big thing.”
“Marvel is truly f–ked with the whole Kang angle,” one top dealmaker told Variety. “And they haven’t had an opportunity to rewrite until very recently [because of the WGA strike]. But I don’t see a path to how they move forward with him.”
The Loki season 2 finale gives Marvel options for Kang
The running theme of the Variety report was that Marvel didn’t know what to do with Kang, but the reality is that the Loki season 2 finale actually gave the studio plenty of options to choose from and play with.
The season 2 finale seemed to handle Victor Timely and He Who Remains with the direction of the finale storyline bringing a conclusion to the two characters’ arcs. While Kang’s variants were referenced, none appeared directly in the finale and Marvel then opted not to include any post-credit scene teasing Kang in any capacity.
The lack of Kang in the finale, be it deliberate or not, gives Marvel the time they need to sort out what to do with the character.
Given they’ve already laid so much groundwork in building to Kang’s battle with the Avengers in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, we cannot imagine Marvel will pivot entirely away from Kang. However, they do have the option to recast the role of Kang, after all, Marvel has recast key characters before in the past.
By wrapping up the storylines involving the key Kang variants previously introduced, Marvel has the chance to keep the character alive in the MCU but with a different actor in the role when the time comes to introduce additional variants thanks to their decision not to tease another Kang in the Loki finale.
This also gives the studio a bit of breathing room to work with as they wait to see how the trial against Majors plays out and whether the actor is found guilty or acquitted, and are forced to determine which direction they want to go in moving forward.
And there's another. What are any of them thinking? [Reply]
Originally Posted by KC_Connection:
I would suggest it is vice versa.
It’s definitely you. I’m talking about Majors, you’re talking about Kang and you don’t understand the distinction for some reason.
One of the articles you linked proves my point:
Originally Posted by :
This first one's as straightforward as it gets. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has already established the idea of different actors playing the same role — not just through the recasting of Edward Norton's Bruce Banner after "The Incredible*Hulk" or Terrence Howard after "Iron Man 2," but also through the multiverse itself. After John Krasinski's cameo as an alternate-universe Reed Richards in "Doctor*Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" and the, uh, bloody way that appearance ultimately went down, Marvel now has a built-in excuse to recast any character as they see fit.*This includes getting out from under the looming specter of Majors' Kang.*Just pin it on the multiverse!
They already had the built-in excuse to recast Majors thanks to the multiverse, which was established long before this Loki season 2 finale. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ThaVirus:
It’s definitely you. I’m talking about Majors, you’re talking about Kang and you don’t understand the distinction for some reason.
One of the articles you linked proves my point:
They already had the built-in excuse to recast Majors thanks to the multiverse, which was established long before this Loki season 2 finale.
Originally Posted by :
The season 2 finale seemed to handle Victor Timely and He Who Remains with the direction of the finale storyline bringing a conclusion to the two characters’ arcs. While Kang’s variants were referenced, none appeared directly in the finale and Marvel then opted not to include any post-credit scene teasing Kang in any capacity.
How you continue to miss this point, I'm really not sure. There were ways they could have easily ended that series on a cliffhanger with Majors' characters and they very clearly chose not to do so. [Reply]
