MCU Characters We Want To See Take On Kang In Phases 5 & 6

Since Benedict Cumberbatch made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in 2016's "Doctor Strange," his Master of the Mystic Arts has become a reliably powerful figure in the franchise. The character particularly played a big role in 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War," where his expertise in dealing with cosmic threats proved he would be a valuable ally to the Avengers. Unfortunately, Doctor Strange also ends up the victim of Thanos' snap, not returning until the climax of "Avengers: Endgame."

Strange's appearances in Phase 4 just go to show how much of a mentor figure the former surgeon has become. When it comes to supernatural threats, few Marvel heroes are as quick to the rescue as Doctor Strange, who is a first responder during the Black Order's attack on New York City, and wastes little time rescuing America Chavez during the beginning of "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Whenever Kang makes his presence known on Earth-616, hopefully Strange is there to defend the planet and its inhabitants.

However, Strange may be M.I.A. during Kang's arrival on Earth. At the end of "Multiverse of Madness," Strange is summoned by Clea (played by Charlize Theron) to help fix an incursion he caused, leading him into the Dark Dimension. Though Strange's error may have disastrous consequences on the multiverse, hopefully Benedict Cumberbatch's character will return to Earth-616 in time to stop a potential attack from Kang. And hopefully, he'll be more prepared than he was for Wanda.

Out of all the major characters who have appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, few have gone through as many changes as Chris Hemsworth's Thor. His early appearances in films like "Thor," "The Avengers," and "Thor: The Dark World" showcased the character's seriousness,  giving the character the gravitas of a Shakespearean hero. However, that all changed when Taika Waititi took control of 2017's "Thor: Ragnarok," which found the character achieving much more success by embracing his funny bone.

That vibe continued into 2022's "Thor: Love & Thunder," which found the character operating at an even higher level of absurdity and vibrance. At the same time, Thor is a tragic figure throughout his films, losing his family, his love, and dealing with the guilt of not killing Thanos when he had the chance. However, "Thor: Love & Thunder" introduces a more optimistic end for Thor, becoming the adoptive father of Gorr's daughter, Love. Sadly, this may spell trouble when the God of Thunder faces a psychotic villain like Kang.

According to "Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania," that fight may have already happened. During their first confrontation, Kang mistakes Scott Lang for Thor, seemingly losing track of all the Avengers he's killed. Perhaps in a future film, audiences will see this legendary fight play out. Kang's experience facing Thor will likely prove to be a disadvantage for Hemsworth's character, but hopefully, Thor will beat the odds and make it out alive.

It's a significant moment in MCU history at the end of "Avengers: Endgame" when an aged Steve Rogers turns up, unpredictably passing on the mantle of Captain America to Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson. It raised a lot of questions heading into the Disney+ series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," particularly how Sam would be able to deal with the pressure of filling Steve's shoes. By the end of the series, despite knowing it would be an uphill climb, Sam fully embraced his role as Captain America, brandishing Steve's iconic shield as well as a new red, white, and blue outfit. 

Sam's adventure is set to continue in "Captain America: New World Order," which, according to director Julius Onah in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, will find Sam "in charge of life or death situations." It won't be long before Sam's duty takes him to much greater threats than the United States government. Like Steve in pretty much every "Avengers" movie, Sam won't hesitate to step up for a fight to defend Earth, no matter the cost. Unfortunately, when Kang turns up, that cost will be quite mighty, giving Sam even more responsibility to grapple with. 

Sam also makes for an interesting type of Marvel hero, considering he's no Super Soldier like Steve or Bucky. The flight will definitely be an advantage against Jonathan Majors' Kang, assuming one of his variants doesn't get his hands on some wings of his own.

At this point, many Marvel fans would argue that Tom Holland is a strong contender for best on-screen Spider-Man. The actor made his debut as Peter Parker in "Captain America: Civil War," making frequent appearances up until 2021's "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which finds the character's actions creating disastrous consequences not just for the multiverse, but for his own life. By the movie's end, Peter Parker has no friends or family left, but still decides to masquerade as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. 

Though Tom Holland seemed uncertain about his future in the MCU as of 2022, Kevin Feige recently confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that a fourth Tom Holland-led film was in the early stages of development. Given that stakes can't get any higher than "Spider-Man: No Way Home," it's likely that Holland's next MCU adventure will be more street-level, perhaps pitting him against Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin. 

Nevertheless, there's no way Holland won't be present for the next set of "Avengers" movies, given his previous experience fighting enemies from the multiverse. Fans will potentially get a chance to see Holland's Peter Parker at a more mature age, putting Aunt May's final words to the test as he faces an enemy like Kang. Based on how Peter seemed to react to Green Goblin's taunts, he more than likely won't play nice with Jonathan Majors' character if they ever come face-to-face. 

Like Kamala Khan, America Chavez is a fairly fresh face in Marvel Comics, making her debut in a 2011 issue of "Vengeance." She later became a star in her own right as a character capable of traveling throughout the multiverse. This power played a major role in her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," played by Xochitl Gomez, where she is hunted across the multiverse by the Scarlet Witch, who seeks to steal her abilities.  

By the end of that movie, Chavez learns to not only control her powers, but takes up residency in Kamar-Taj to train with Wong and other Masters of the Mystic Arts. However, the character will likely play a big role in the films to come in the Multiverse Saga, which Gomez seemed to imply during an interview with Insider, specifically mentioning her desire to be in a movie where she gets to face off against Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror.

Furthermore, Chavez's powers could be quite valuable to a character like Kang, who spends most of "Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania" trying to repair his Time Chair, leave the Quantum Realm, and resume conquering the multiverse. With any luck, Gomez will get her wish and have a run-in with Kang in "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty," but hopefully it won't result in an early end for the comic book character who eventually fights crime under the name Miss America.

Marvel's 2021 film "Eternals" is one of the most divisive entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but no one can deny how exciting it'll be to see the characters introduced in this movie square off with Jonathan Major's new big bad. While some of the god-like figures in the film aren't exactly fighters, that can't be said about Angelina Jolie's Thena, a proven warrior who spends most of the film suffering from Mahd Wy'ry, causing her to lash out against her own family. 

Sadly, it may be a long while before fans get to see the impact of these characters on the greater Multiverse Saga, as even the film's stars seem to know nothing about their characters' futures. The first film sets up for an exciting "Eternals 2," with Harry Styles in tow as Thanos' brother Eros. However, Thena's affliction with Mahd Wy'ry could tie into the Kang of it all, who has spent infinite lives traveling through time. Perhaps, one of the memories causing Thena to act out involves the Eternals having a confrontation a long time ago with a variant of Jonathan Majors' character.

Whenever the day comes that Thena gets to face Kang the Conqueror, Angelina Jolie doesn't want to let Marvel fans down, a fear she expressed in an interview with Mirror. Given how she performed in battles against Deviants, and even against her own Eternal brethren, a Thena vs Kang match-up would certainly prove to be entertaining. 

Robert Downey Jr.'s MCU swan song came in "Avengers: Endgame," where the billionaire playboy philanthropist did the unexpected and sacrificed himself to save half the universe from Thanos' wrath. It was a heart-wrenching and beautiful end to the chapter of the MCU that Robert Downey Jr. kicked off with the very first "Iron Man." That being said, the door may still be open for the actor to reprise his role not as the version of Tony Stark we came to know and love, but as one of his variants from another multiverse.

Rumors have circulated for years that Downey Jr. would reprise his role in a future MCU project, whether it be a cameo in the Don Cheadle-led "Armor Wars," or returning alongside Chris Evans' Captain America in "Avengers: Secret Wars." This would be even more likely if one rumor about "Secret Wars" comes to fruition, that there will be an "Avengers: Endgame" portals moment featuring many major actors from former Marvel franchises, including Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. 

For what it's worth, the person who may be most anxious for Kang to face off against Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man is none other than Jonathan Majors himself. As the actor told Lifehacker Australia, "I would love to be across from him on-screen to see how our philosophies, acting-wise and character-wise ... match up." The only thing to do is beg Kevin Feige to make this happen before Majors' MCU tenure is up. 

The mid-credits scene of "Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania" reveals the existence of the Council of Kangs, comprised of hundreds of Kang variants, all with varying personalities and threat levels. When it comes to a character whose very existence is predicated upon limitless versions of himself, it seems like common sense that the most interesting match-up for the character would be himself. Thanks to the history of Marvel Comics, this concept could play an important role in the future of the MCU that's already been set up.

In the comics, one variant of Nathaniel Richards is visited by a future Kang the Conqueror and shown his violent destiny. Afraid of the person he'll become, this more even-tempered Kang variant decides to become a hero, donning the name Iron Lad and forming the group known as the Young Avengers. The original comic book lineup of the Young Avengers included many characters who have already debuted in the MCU, including Kate Bishop, Cassie Lang, Eli Bradley, and Wiccan. 

Although "Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania" producer Stephen Broussard tempered fan expectations for a "Young Avengers" movie in the near future, its foundations may be incredibly important to Kang's uprise in the MCU. Furthermore, after the "Ant-Man" post-credits scene, it will be exciting to see an actor like Jonathan Majors share the screen with himself even more in a future Marvel film. Only time will tell, but like Kang says, "Time isn't what you think."