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.