Kang the Conqueror's (Jonathan Majors) introduction as the MCU multiverse's primary villain creates a problem for Avengers 5. After the Infinity Saga, Marvel Studios is currently in a transition period as they re-establish the power dynamics in the franchise, with heroes such as Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and the new Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) taking on new leadership roles. Meanwhile, new characters are introduced who are meant to play pivotal roles in MCU's next overarching storyline. That includes Kang, who was first debuted in Loki as He Who Remains.

The MCU has hinted at the existence of the multiverse as early as Phase 3, but it wasn't until Phase 4 that it's become a central point of its narrative. It was hinted at in WandaVision, but Loki explicitly tackled it with the introduction of the Time Variance Authority/TVA and the idea of variants — versions of a character from other universes. By the end of the Tom Hiddleston-led series, he and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) finally met He Who Remains, the creator of the TVA and a less-ruthless variant of Kang. Despite his death, the show effectively set up Kang's eventual introduction, leading many to believe that he will be the franchise's next big villain after Thanos (Josh Brolin).

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Majors' next confirmed appearance in the MCU is in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, where he's set to be the movie's primary villain. There's a possibility that he briefly appears in other projects before then, but it's safe to assume that his origin story will be laid out in the Peyton Reed-directed threequel. Presumably, it will also properly set him up as the franchise's next major crossover antagonist as the multiverse becomes the franchise's new version of the Infinity Saga. All of this will likely culminate in an Avengers film, akin to what happened in Avengers: Endgame. That being said, any big climactic fight with Kang shouldn't be in Avengers 5, as it's far too soon to see the end of Marvel Studios' new overarching narrative. For context, the Infinity Saga took a decade and three phases to build up. Even if Marvel Studios pushes back Avengers 5 to Phase 5, it would still be way early for a massive event, especially given the high bar that Avengers: Endgame set. So, if the MCU's new crossover narrative indeed revolves around the universe and its collapse, what does Kang do in the meantime as he waits for the story's proper culmination? It doesn't seem likely that Marvel Studios would keep him on the sidelines while other plot lines can play out.

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Given how the universe's foreseeable future is currently shaping up, there's a chance that the MCU's next crossover event isn't about the multiverse. There's been a clear focus on this particular narrative in Phase 4 with projects such as Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The hunt for the Infinity Stones didn't become clear until well into Phase 2 in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Although Thanos' existence was officially confirmed in The Avengers, his story didn't progress much at that point, allowing Marvel Studios to pace his arc and delay his introduction to Avengers: Infinity War. Kang the Conqueror can be subjected to the same treatment, but it doesn't seem like it will be the case considering that he will be front and center in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While Thanos appeared in other MCU movies before his formal debut, they were mostly brief and glorified cameos.

Instead of the multiverse, the franchise's next crossover could be Secret Wars, with Disney+'s Secret Invasion functioning as its launching pad. Assuming that this is the case, Kang, like Loki was in MCU Phase 1, could be the villain of the new Avengers roster for Avengers 5. But this also means that he won't be the franchise's new Thanos unlike initially perceived.

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