The Avengers May Have An Unlikely Ally Against The Council Of Kangs

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty may feature a new and totally unexpected ally for Earth's Mightiest Heroes in their next big battle. As the first installment of the Multiverse Saga's epic two-part finale, The Kang Dynasty will feature the climax of the Avengers' battle against the Council of Kangs, a group of malevolent Kang variants from every corner of the multiverse. In keeping with the Marvel Cinematic Universe's epic twists and turns, the upcoming fifth Avengers film has the opportunity to ally the heroes with one of their greatest enemies to finally bring an end to the Council of Kangs' reign over the multiverse once and for all.

Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania's mid-credits scene included the first introduction of the Council of Kangs in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The multiversal commune of Kang variants, all of whom are portrayed by Jonathan Majors, first convenes after Kang the Conqueror's defeat at the hands of Ant-Man and the Wasp. The council's high-ranking members, Pharaoh Rama-Tut, the Scarlet Centurion, and Immortus, appear to be set up as villains of future MCU projects in Phase 5 and Phase 6, filling the space between Quantumania and The Kang Dynasty, the latter of which will finally pit the united Avengers team against their biggest threat yet.

It Takes A Kang To Defeat A Kang

Kang and he Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) in the MCU

The only one capable of defeating Kang in the MCU is another version of himself. Although Ant-Man and the Wasp seemingly killed Kang the Conqueror at the end of Quantumania, it is clear that their efforts are only a temporary fix. After years of fighting countless Avengers in multiple realities, it has become abundantly clear that no mere mortal could permanently defeat Kang the Conqueror. Kang's other variants appear to be cut from a similar cloth, with only a few beings in the MCU capable of bringing their designs to a halt. Therefore, it appears that the Avengers' efforts against Kang are doomed before they have even begun.

Kang's exile in the Quantum Realm suggests that even other Kang variants would have trouble killing one of their own. Rather than actually killing Kang the Conqueror when he became too unwieldy for their own plans, the Council of Kangs elected to ambush his ship and strand him in the Quantum Realm. Had they been capable of killing him, the Kang variants likely wouldn't have chosen to leave the Conqueror alive and risk his return. It is more likely that, as a Nexus being, Kang and, by extension, his variants, cannot be killed without risking the integrity of the Sacred Timeline and sparking devastating incursions throughout the multiverse.

While defeating Kang's variants in The Kang Dynasty risks fracturing the timeline, it does appear to be possible based on Kang the Conqueror's comments in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. After his betrayal at the hands of his variants, Kang promised to "burn them out of time," suggesting that he does indeed have a method of killing other versions of himself, regardless of the danger thereof. Moreover, recent comments from Quantumania and The Kang Dynasty screenwriter Jeff Loveness prove that Kang is the only one capable of defeating his variants. If the Avengers have any hope of defeating the Council of Kangs, they'll need a Kang of their own.

Kang The Conqueror May Be The Lesser Of Many Evils

Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) and the Council of Kangs (comics)

Jonathan Majors's Kang the Conqueror has killed countless Avengers and plundered endless realities, but he may still be the lesser evil when compared to his variants. The first Kang variant met in the MCU, He Who Remains, hinted at such when he first encountered Loki and Sylvie. In the Loki season finale, He Who Remains revealed that his variants were aggressive, unwieldy, and irredeemably evil. While this initially appeared to refer to Kang the Conqueror, it is important to note that He Who Remains did not speak of a single evil variant, but many. As evil as Kang may be, the Council of Kangs seems much worse by comparison.

Originally set up as the MCU's next big bad, Kang the Conqueror certainly appeared to be every bit the villain that Marvel had promised in his first appearance. However, Quantumania also made it a point to separate him from his other variants. Just as He Who Remains had done in Loki, Kang warns that what his variants plan is far more devastating than anything he could bring upon the multiverse himself. While the Council of Kang's true intentions are never fully revealed, it is frightening to imagine what could be worse than Kang the Conqueror's schemes. While Kang seeks to rule the multiverse, his variants may seek to destroy it.

The Council of Kangs is first seen as they summon countless Kang variants to an otherworldly arena, an event that would certainly cause an incursion in the MCU. In fact, a very similar situation in Spider-Man: No Way Home nearly broke the multiverse forever, as countless variants from other universes threatened to come to Earth-616 as a result of Doctor Strange's botched spell. The Council of Kang's actions in Quantumania are even worse given their status as Nexus beings, meaning that a version of Kang exists in every single universe. Summoning truly endless Kang variants to a single location suggests that the Council seeks to destroy, not rule, the multiverse.

Quantumania's End Credits Scenes Reveal The Council Of Kang's Biggest Fears

Split Image of The Avengers (Infinity War lineup) and Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors)

While Quantumania doesn't reveal why the Council of Kangs would want to cause an incursion, it does reveal two of their greatest fears. The MCU's Council of Kangs is not aligned with Kang the Conqueror, having evidently betrayed him at the end of the Multiversal War. They feared their conquering variant enough to put an end to his conquests, banishing him in the one place where time means nothing. They also apparently kept tabs on their exiled compatriot, knowing exactly when he was defeated by Ant-Man and the Wasp. However, his defeat was not a comforting revelation for the Council of Kangs, revealing their second greatest fear.

Immortus, who appears to be the highest-ranking member of the council, plainly states that Kang's defeat is quite troubling. If the first Earth-616 Avenger to meet Kang managed to defeat him so easily, then other heroes from that world could pose a threat to the Council of Kangs as well. It is this revelation that causes Immortus to summon his variants from every universe and declare war on the Avengers. While Kang the Conqueror is almost certainly still alive in the Quantum Realm, the Council of Kangs appears to be unaware of this reality, believing that one of their own may finally have been defeated.

As the two biggest threats facing the Council of Kangs in the MCU, the Avengers and Kang the Conqueror may find themselves aligned during the events of The Kang Dynasty. While other Kang variants like Iron Lad may also find themselves joining the Avengers in their plight, it is Kang the Conqueror that the council truly fears. United, Kang the Conqueror and the Avengers may stand a chance of doing the one thing that previously seemed impossible and finally kill the Council of Kangs. While their alliance would be tenuous at best, it may also be the only way to save the multiverse from facing utter destruction.

How The Avengers' Alliance With Kang Can Set Up Secret Wars

Split Image of Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror and 2015's Secret Wars II

Even if the Avengers and Kang the Conqueror manage to emerge victorious in Avengers 5, their actions could still bring about the catastrophic events of Avengers: Secret Wars. The Avengers' victory in The Kang Dynasty could easily create countless incursions that would play out during Avengers 6. The action of removing a Nexus being from so many timelines could prove too destructive for the multiverse to handle, explaining why worlds begin to collide during the events of Secret Wars. The end of the Avengers' conflict with the Council of Kangs would leave endless worlds to collide with their own for one more epic fight on Battleworld.

Conversely, an alliance with Kang the Conqueror in The Kang Dynasty may prove to backfire on the Avengers, even if they manage to defeat the Council of Kangs. The universe-hopping supervillain certainly can't be trusted to put other's best interests above his own and wouldn't hesitate to seize the power that his variants once had for himself. As the last version of himself in the multiverse, Kang could become the MCU's Beyonder, leading directly into the events of Secret Wars and the end of the Multiverse Saga. If this proves true, it would be the Avengers' actions during Avengers: The Kang Dynasty that brings about the end of the multiverse.