The destiny of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been referred to as into query, following the conviction of Jonathan Majors on two counts of home assault and harassment. Within the wake of the decision, which stemmed from an incident in March involving Majors and his-then girlfriend Grace Jabbari, Marvel Studios has confirmed that they won’t proceed with any future movie or tv initiatives involving the actor.
On the time of writing, Marvel has not but issued a proper assertion relating to Majors’ responsible verdict or its function in his future on the studio. In any case, the corporate’s affirmation of his firing places a halt in plans for one in every of Marvel’s key villains, with Majors’ portrayal of Kang the Conqueror being correctly launched in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Amid information of Majors’ arrest and trial, Marvel remained largely silent as to Majors’ upcoming roles within the MCU, although he was slated to seem as Kang in 2025’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, in addition to within the tv sequence Loki. It was reported in November that Marvel had begun plans to recast Majors, reshoot scenes, and tinker with the general timeline of the MCU, particularly given Kang’s key function because the central villain superseding Thanos.
Naturally, given their ardent ardour, hypothesis has long term rampant amongst MCU followers as to who ought to exchange Majors if the function of Kang was to be recast. In between mentions of Denzel Washington and John Boyega, the buzziest choose for Majors’ potential alternative is Will Smith, who some have advised might tackle the character following Majors’ exit.
So, because the destiny of Majors’ Marvel future is sealed and the studio seems to tinker with its new Massive Unhealthy, how seemingly is it that Will Smith will exchange Jonathan Majors as Kang?
Might Will Smith exchange Jonathan Majors as Kang? The controversial projection, defined
Fan theories have run rampant ever since Majors was first arrested in March, whilst Marvel remained silent on their casting actions. Maybe the starriest names put forth for a possible alternative are Caleb McLaughlin of Stranger Issues, Star Wars’ John Boyega, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jeffrey Wright, the latter two of whom are already concerned in Marvel initiatives.
One projection, nonetheless, has caught each the joy and ire of the fandom, with some suggesting Will Smith ought to don Kang’s inexperienced swimsuit for future iterations of the character. On one hand, the casting alternative is sensible. Smith has a confirmed expertise for action-based and superhero-adjacent movies, with starring roles within the Males in Black franchise, Hancock, and DC’s Suicide Squad.
Smith can also be dependable when it comes to the field workplace — one thing Marvel has been combating of late — together with his motion pictures having grossed $9.3 billion whole on the field workplace. These attributes, in addition to his knack for extra dramatic appearing, would possibly make Smith a fascinating alternative for Marvel, if it wasn’t for the string of controversies which have adopted him lately.
For starters, there’s the nice Oscar’s slap of 2022; so stunning it reverberated all over the world and fuelled months of headlines and updates. Smith was subsequently banned from attending the Academy Awards for the subsequent ten years. Public opinion across the actor has various within the years since, although his ever-buzzy relationship with Jada Pinkett-Smith has finished little to curry favor.
In saying that, it seems as if Smith’s post-slap renaissance is upon us, with the actor slated to seem in blockbusters like Unhealthy Boys 4 and I Am Legend 2, in addition to a remake of Planes, Trains, and Vehicles. Smith’s capability to entrance main blockbusters even after previous controversies might assist his Marvel prospects.
Whereas it’s value noting that Marvel has previously not shied away from casting controversial actors — as was the case for Robert Downey Jr. on the time of Iron Man — attaching Smith to the already hot-button function of Kang would possibly appeal to additional controversy. It is perhaps clever for the studio to keep away from headlines all collectively by casting a much less controversial (and this time, closely vetted) actor, and followers on Reddit appear to agree.
An actor hottest amongst audiences for Majors’ alternative is Denzel Washington, whom followers have advised might play an older model of Kang. Washington is definitely much less controversial than Smith, and holds an identical degree of star energy and business success. Query marks nonetheless stay as as to if Washington would even tackle the function, and certainly whether or not any of the aforementioned actors have been approached.
In any case, we must await additional particulars from Marvel and the fallout from Majors’ conviction. The actor is anticipated to be sentenced on February 6, 2024.
