As soon as Jonathan Majors debuted in the Loki series finale, Marvel fans knew that Kang the Conqueror was destined to become the MCU’s next big bad. Sure enough, it’s now official that Marvel’s Phase Six will conclude in 2025 with a two-part multiversal mega-crossover event, comprising May’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and November’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
We’ve previously taken a look at which heroes could serve on the Avengers team in those movies, but it’s worth speculating which versions of Kang might show up in the films, too. The time-traveling tyrant, also known as Nathaniel Richards, has had a ton of alter egos and alternate selves over the decades in the comics and the title Kang Dynasty promises that we’ll be meeting many of them soon enough in the MCU.
There are plenty more where these came from, but here are the 10 Kang variants we predict are most likely to appear in Avengers 5 and 6.
Kamala Kang
2018’s Infinity Wars event saw an unhinged Gamora use the Soul Stone to smush every soul in the universe together with another, thereby creating Warp World. One such mash-up character created by this event was Kamala Kang, who is exactly what she sounds like — a blend of Ms. Marvel and Kang.
When Kamala was exposed to a Chronogen mist, she gained the ability not to stretch her skin, but stretch herself through space and time, donning a containment suit that resembled Kang’s costume, but retaining her signature lightning bolt emblem.
Although the specifics of the character would have to change, having Iman Vellani play a villainous take on her lovable character in Avengers 5 is surely too irresistible to ignore.
Mr. Gryphon/Kang the Conglomerator
Kang’s taken on many cosmic forms across the multiverse, but he’s known to get down to business, too. In the comics, there are two different Kang variants who have masqueraded as Norman Osborn-alike corrupt CEO types, so the MCU could always draw inspiration from either or both in Kang Dynasty.
First of all, All-New, All-Different Avengers introduced Mr. Gryphon, the head of Qeng Industries, a powerful company which came out of nowhere to purchase Stark Tower. It turned out that Gryphon was a version of Kang who had become stranded in the 21st century and so was looking to rebuild his future empire in the present-day.
Similarly, Edge of Spider-Geddon debuted Kang the Conglomerator, from the same universe as Spider-Punk (who’ll soon jump to the screen himself in Sony’s Across the Spider-Verse). From the year 2099, this Kang had taken a different approach to beating his enemies — he’d grown rich from snapping up the branding rights to the world’s superheroes.
He Who Remains
Marvel lovers will know that He Who Remains is actually a separate character from Kang in the comics, but Loki reimagined the two characters as one and the same. Dwelling in the Citadel at the End of Time, HWR was revealed as the true creator of the Time Variance Authority, at least until he was killed by Sylvie, which allowed Kang the Conqueror to come through and take over the TVA.
HWR might be dead, but there’s a good chance he’ll return in Kang Dynasty. The Loki finale teased a key backstory for this variant, as HWR was the first Kang to discover the existence of the multiverse, reaching out to his other selves and inadvertently starting the mythical Multiverse War in the process. Flashbacks to this would help us better understand the origins of the Kangs.
Iron Lad
Here he is, the Kang variant we’re all waiting for. With pretty much the entire lineup already running around the MCU, it feels like the Young Avengers are on the edge of teaming up. But the group wouldn’t be complete without Iron Lad, the roster’s original founder, whose secret identity was a jaw-dropping twist back in the day.
Although Iron Lad modeled his superhero persona after Tony Stark, it was later revealed that he was truly Nathaniel “Nate” Richards, a 16-year-old Kang who was attempting to avoid his villainous destiny by serving as a superhero in the present. There’s a tragic element to Nate, as he desperately wants to change a fate that is set in stone, so he would undoubtedly be a fan-favorite addition to the MCU.
Rama-Tut
Rama-Tut has the honor of being the original variant of Kang to appear in the comics, debuting back in October 1963. When the Fantastic Four are time-displaced to ancient Egypt, they depose the despotic pharaoh, who was hinted to be either a time-traveling descendant, or future version of, Doctor Doom. Once Kang was introduced a year later, however, Rama-Tut was retconned as one of his alter egos, an alias he would return to many times over the decades.
Rama-Tut is also known for his tussles with the evil mutant Apocalypse, who likewise hails from ancient Egypt, so having the wicked pharaoh turn up in Kang Dynasty could open the doors to some X-Men crossovers, depending on whether the team has actually been introduced into the franchise by that time.
Immortus
On the one hand, Immortus might be an outlier to appear in Kang Dynasty seeing as He Who Remains is clearly a loose adaptation of him. On the other, he’s such a key part of Kang’s legacy in the comics that it’s hard to imagine Marvel skipping over him outright.
The so-called Lord (or Master) of Time, Immortus is essentially a future version of Kang who turned away from villainy after the deaths of his lover Ravonna and son Marcus and became employed as an agent of the Time Keepers, which repeatedly put him in the Avengers’ path. He even officiated the wedding of Scarlet Witch and Vision. His status as the “nice” Kang, who upholds the flow of time, is obviously the part that was borrowed for He Who Remains.
Another aspect of Immortus that the MCU could utilize, though, is Pope Immortus. As Kang’s Earth X variant, Pop Immortus took control of this universe, which had been left ravaged after a Celestial attack, by establishing the Church of Immortus and declaring himself the planet’s savior. He even teamed up with a variant of Mephisto to do so. Could this be how Mephisto finally ends up in the MCU?
Other Kangs
Ultimate Kang
The Ultimate universe established a female Kang, a mysterious traveler from the future who aimed to steal the Infinity Stones to prevent the destruction of Earth. She was later revealed to be none other than Sue Storm. Whoever plays Invisible Woman in Fantastic Four could double up as this variant.
Scarlet Centurion
When Kang and Doom first met, they had a whole “Did we just become best friends?” moment and Kang, deciding that he and Doom must be related, created himself a fresh persona based on his new pal. Kang donned a suit of armor based on Victor’s and called himself Scarlet Centurion.
Doom the Annihilating Conqueror
In one universe, Doom, Annihilus, and Kang teamed up to take over the world. However, Victor tricks his allies and steals their power, being reborn as the unstoppable Doom the Annihilating Conqueror. While Annihilus might not be in the frame yet, a Doom/Kang mashup would be a fun concept.
Kangaroo the Conqueror
We’ve had Spider-Ham in the Spider-Verse movies, so Kang Dynasty has free rein to introduce the Kang variant from the porcine webslinger’s reality — Kangaroo the Conqueror. Viewers have already taken Alligator Loki into their hearts, so we’re pretty sure they can handle an evil kangaroo.