Marvel Studios recently released a trailer for the highly anticipated second season of Loki. While the trailer hints at the return of Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, Marvel faces a difficult dilemma regarding the actor's role in light of his recent legal issues.
Kang's Importance
Majors was arrested earlier this year on domestic abuse charges. While he has yet to be convicted, the allegations have cast a shadow over his involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) going forward. Kang was introduced in last year's _Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as a new big bad villain and played a major role in setting up the multiverse saga.
The Loki Season 2 trailer only briefly shows what appears to be one of Kang's variants, leaving his presence throughout the new season unclear. This ambiguity seems strategic, giving Marvel flexibility depending on how Majors' legal case plays out.
The Dilemma
Marvel finds itself stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, Kang is too integral to Loki's overarching narrative to simply write out. The first season finale hinged on his introduction, essentially making him the catalyst for this new phase of the MCU.
On the other hand, moving forward with Majors in the role given the serious abuse allegations could prove a public relations nightmare. Marvel has yet to make any statement on Majors or address the charges against him. Their silence speaks volumes.
Watch Trailer here:
Logistical Issues
According to reports, Majors was slated to appear in about half of Loki Season 2, which finished filming before his arrest. With the actors' and writers' guilds currently on strike, recasting or reshooting Kang's scenes doesn't seem feasible at this stage.
Marvel's Current Strategy
For now, it seems Marvel will tread carefully, limiting Majors' screen time to the minimum required by the story. But even his brief presence casts an ominous shadow, alluding to the larger dilemma still plaguing Marvel.
The Loki Season 2 trailer artfully works around the Kang in the room - teasing his looming threat without giving too much away. But Marvel can't avoid the issue forever. With Loki set to return in October, they have a few months to decide how to address the Majors of it all.
It's a complex situation with no clear solution. Removing Kang from the story would damage the overarching narrative, but keeping Majors in the role could seriously hurt Marvel's reputation. For now, all they can do is buy time and hope the dilemma resolves itself.