Is Marvel hiding the one ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ character more important than Kang in its least-hyped 2023 project?

Kang the Conqueror is set to make his MCU debut proper in next month’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and the expectation is that the franchise will never be the same again. Jonathan Majors’ Multiverse Saga big bad is shaping up to be the most formidable foe Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have ever faced. Although we’ve still got years to wait until they officially do, in 2025’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and its 2026 sequel Avengers: Secret Wars.

Despite the heavy hype surrounding Kang, however, there is one character who could end up being even more significant to the Secret Wars storyline. And, ironically enough, they are also about to appear on our screens this February, albeit in another Marvel project that’s not receiving anywhere near the same kind of recognition as Quantumania, to the extent that many fans might not be aware it even exists. The project in question is Disney animated series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.

While ostensibly taking place outside the MCU, the show sports the involvement of a ton of Earth-616 veterans, which leaves the door open for some potentially major crossovers down the line. Ant-Man and the Wasp alum Laurence Fishburne co-created the series, for instance, and it just so happens that he’s handed himself a juicy role in the production — he’ll be voicing The Beyonder, one of the most powerful beings in the whole Marvel universe.

Considering that The Beyonder is the character without whom the comic book Secret Wars events (there have been a few) couldn’t even have happened, there’s a hefty expectation that the cosmic being will factor into the MCU adaptation to some degree. The door is open, then, for Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur to earn itself a key place in the canon by introducing The Beyonder before his eventual live-action appearance.

Thanks to the emergence of the Multiverse, every Marvel production — whether it comes from Marvel Studios, Marvel Television, Sony, or beyond — is essentially MCU canon, so there is every opportunity for Fishburne to be brought back as The Beyonder in Avengers: Secret Wars. And, honestly, The Matrix icon is such perfect casting Kevin Feige should get on that right now if it’s not already his masterplan. It’s either that or bring him back as the Silver Surfer.

From what we’ve seen so far, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur promises to be fresh, fun all-ages entertainment with some strong Spider-Verse and Ms. Marvel vibes. If that is all it is, then that’s enough reason to warrant giving it a watch anyway. But with The Beyonder on his way, Marvel’s most overlooked upcoming project might just earn itself the honor of being an integral (if extracurricular) piece of the Multiverse Saga puzzle.

Catch the show’s two-part premiere on Disney Channel on Feb. 10 or stream it on Disney Plus from Feb. 15.