Avengers 5 villain shocker; "big three" heroes reportedly not involved

As Marvel Studios continues to expand its Multiverse Saga, all sights are set on its endgame. Yes, it's all about the journey, but with a company as large as Marvel (and a franchise as ambitious as the Marvel Cinematic Universe), there are goals to work towards. And just as we saw with the Infinity Saga, those goals are in the form of an Avengers movie (or two).

For Phases Four, Five, and Six, that endgame will be Avengers 5 (and Avengers: Secret Wars). That much is certain. What is less certain is what the first of those movies will be about. It was originally titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but according to rumors and reports, Marvel has retitled the project after parting ways with actor Jonathan Majors, who previously portrayed Kang the Conqueror. Early rumors suggested the studio would move away from Kang as the MCU's new big bad, while others suggested a recast would be inevitable.

A new report, however, claims that we might not have seen the last of Kang and that he may not be the only villain that the Avengers will have to worry about.

Two different villains rumored for Avengers 5

According to Marvel scooper HolyField News, Avengers 5 will feature two different types of villains, one of which will be more of a street level threat, while the other will still be Kang the Conqueror, who will serve as more of an overarching multiversal threat.

While the idea of the Avengers uniting to take on two villains is unexpected to say the least, the most shocking aspect of this rumor is that it suggests that Kang will remain around even after the reports of Marvel moving away from him. Could this mean that the film is still subtitled The Kang Dynasty, or are we instead taking the focus away from him for now to place it back on him at the end of the Multiverse Saga in Secret Wars?

Since the studio parted ways with Jonathan Majors (who played the role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and an alternate version in Loki), there have been rumors that Marvel might be interested in recasting the role, with Fear The Walking Dead star Colman Domingo being among the favorites rumored for the role.

This new report seems to reinforce the recast rumors, suggesting that Kang will stay on as a villain in the MCU to finish out his story but with a different actor playing the role.

There won't be a "big three" on the new Avengers

The report also claims that the film will feature a new line-up of Avengers that begins with Sam Wilson's Captain America, Hulk, Joaquin Torres' Falcon, and Shuri's Black Panther - a team that will reportedly be formed in Captain America: Brave New World. It also adds that the new Avengers HQ will be unveiled in Avengers 5 and that there won't be a "big three" like there was on the original team of Avengers.

Fans who have been with the MCU since its beginning will know that, while the original line-up of The Avengers initially consisted of six heroes, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor were considered the big three (much like DC's trinity of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman). That's one of the reasons that the trio had their own battle against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame.

The idea of there not being a "big three" in the new Avengers roster isn't entirely surprising given that Iron Man and the original Captain America, Steve Rogers, are no longer there. However, Thor is still an active part of the MCU, but it's unclear if he will be involved in Avengers 5 at this point in time. Even if he does show up, it doesn't sound like he'll be at the forefront of the new team in the way that he was with the old one.

In a way, the lack of a core trinity does make sense. As this will be a completely new line-up of Avengers, featuring a multitude of new heroes from Phases Four and Five, putting them all on the same playing field without having one (or three) take charge would highlight all of their importance. It would also go a long way in showcasing their functionality as a team, as all of them would have to work together instead of relying on a few heroes to lead the charge. And not having an original Avenger act as leader would also ensure that none of these new Avengers were undermined in their first film on the team.

With new heroes assembling and old heroes returning, Avengers 5 promises to be one of the MCU's most intriguing movies. We can't wait to see how it all unfolds in the build-up to it and the character dynamics that will make their presence felt when all of these heroes unite to stop the new big bad (who, at the moment, is still seemingly Kang The Conqueror).