Marvel considered switching to Doctor Doom after Kang the Conqueror actor was arrested

Marvel Studios executives reportedly considered pivoting to the Doctor Doom storyline after Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors was arrested in March.

According to Variety, Marvel executives considered backup plans after Majors was accused of domestic violence. Jonathan Majors has always maintained his innocence, but Marvel is reportedly still considering other options in case he loses the case or suffers reputational damage.

Kang is set to be the main villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the next few years, basically the post-Avengers Thanos. He has appeared in various forms in the Loki TV series and Ant-Man 3, so simply replacing Kang's actor or abandoning him is not a viable option.

However, Marvel has reportedly considered abandoning Kang as a character and introducing another villain to take over the villain position in MCU Phases 5 and 6. According to Variety, Doctor Doom is a possible alternative, perhaps coinciding with Marvel's Fantastic Four movie, which is scheduled to begin filming in spring 2024.

According to Variety's sources, it won't be easy to squeeze Kang out of his central role in Phases 5 and 6. The final episode of Loki Season 2 allegedly further solidified his place in the MCU, and a senior trade expert told the magazine that "Marvel is really in a dilemma with Kang."

“They haven’t had the opportunity to do rewrites until recently because of the Writers Guild of America strike,” Variety’s source said. “But I don’t see how they can move forward.”