The road to the next Avengers film has been a bit bumpy for Marvel Studios. In a massive pivot that shook fans in 2024, Marvel scrapped Avengers: The Kang Dynasty entirely, rebranding the fifth installment as Avengers Doomsday and bringing back Robert Downey Jr. as Dr. Doom. While fans are now gearing up for the Russo brothers return, many have been left wondering what the original version of the film would have looked like. Thanks to recent comments from the screenwriters originally attached to the project, we now have a much clearer picture of the dynasty that never was.
Before the pivot to Doom, the Kang Dynasty was set to be the grand culmination of the Multiverse Saga's first half, heavily relying on the setup from Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantum Mania and Loki. Writers Jeff Loveness and Michael Waldron were the key architects of this phase. And in recent reveals, they've shared specific plot points that would have introduced a highly anticipated new team to the big screen, the Young Avengers.
According to Michael Waldrin, as part of a Reddit AMA, he and Loveness had devised a specific comedic introduction for the Young Avengers within the Kang Dynasty. The scene would have featured the newly assembled team of adolescent heroes, likely including characters already introduced like Kate Bishop, Camala Khan, and Cassie Lang, facing off against one of the countless Kang variants unleashed upon the multiverse. Based on Waldron's memory, this was possibly the Lizard Kang seen in the postcredits of Quantum Mania.
In a twist designed to subvert expectations, the Young Avengers would have successfully defeated this Kang variant, feeling a moment of triumph. However, the victory would have been short-lived and played for laughs. Upon inspecting their fallen foe, the team would have discovered a small note on the variant that read something like, "Be patient with him. It was his first day as a Kang." Waldron noted that he and Loveness were stoked about this idea. Which would have highlighted the sheer overwhelming volume of Kang variants. Some terrifyingly competent, others laughably inexperienced. It was intended to be a fun moment that acknowledged the Kang Dynasty wasn't just about one Supreme villain, but an endless legion of them.
Beyond this specific gag, earlier reports and leaks regarding Loveness' initial draft pointed to a more grounded Avengers film than one might expect from a multiverse story. The original plan was to have the new generation of earth-based heroes, specifically those introduced in phase 4, thrown into the fire, as Loveness put it. Characters like Shang-Chi were rumored to have major leading roles, stepping up to fill the void left by Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. The film likely would have culminated in a massive defeat for these new Avengers at the hands of the Council of Kangs, thereby setting up the dire stakes necessary for whatever multiverse shattering events were to occur in Avengers Secret Wars.
Ultimately, a combination of real-world legal issues surrounding Jonathan Major and the critical and commercial flop that was Quantum Mania led Marvel to abandon this direction. Apparently, having your Thanos level threat beaten by a bunch of ants wasn't what audiences were looking for. Anyway, that's about all we know regarding what was to be when it came to the Kang Dynasty. Though, we're sure that more leaks and interviews will reveal more as time goes on. In the meantime, let us know in the comments how you feel about losing out on the Young Avengers versus Lizard Kang. And as always, thank you for watching Screen Rant.