The MCU is once again in danger with the debut of Kang the Conqueror. Luckily, the franchise has several heroes prepared to fight the villain.
Kang the Conqueror is about the wreak havoc in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but luckily for the franchise, there are several heroes who are ready to defend the universe against the villain. Thanos may have been defeated at the end of Avengers: Endgame, but that doesn’t mean the franchise is free from any kind of threats. In the Multiverse Saga, Marvel Studios follows up the Titan with a new adversary dangerous enough to motivate the Avengers to re-assemble following the Infinity Saga — Kang the Conqueror.
Played by Jonathan Majors, not much is known about Kang the Conqueror. While his variant, He Who Remains debuted in Loki, the villain itself is yet to make a splash in the MCU, with his proper introduction set in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While specific details about the antagonist’s motivations are still uncertain, looking at the character’s Marvel Comics origins, he’s poised to be extremely powerful, with plans to take over all of history. Unfortunately for him, there are several MCU heroes all prepared to take stop him in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
9Doctor Strange
Despite being relatively new to the MCU, Doctor Strange quickly established himself to be one of the primary protectors of Earth in Avengers: Infinity War, and played a big part in Thanos’ eventual defeat in Avengers: Endgame. His role in the franchise only becomes more expansive in the Multiverse Saga as one of the few heroes who have seen first-hand how the multiverse actually works. Doctor Strange may not be the Sorcerer Supreme, but he is also capable of time travel and manipulation which could be both useful against a time and universe-hopping villain like Kang.
8Scarlet Witch
While Wanda Maximoff is supposedly dead following her sacrificial play at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, her return is almost already confirmed. After almost single-handedly killing Thanos, there’s no denying that Scarlet Witch is one of, if not the most powerful hero in the MCU. That in itself should be enough reason for her to be at the forefront of the fight against Kang the Conqueror. That being said, her newly-acquired skill of being a multiversal travel expert who has dealt with paradoxes further equips her to take on the Multiverse Saga’s main bad.
7Spider-Man
Both Doctor Strange and Wanda have personally traveled the multiverse, but while Spider-Man hasn’t, he is aware of its existence. He’s also knowledgeable about the concept of variants, having met other Spider-Men in Spider-Man: No Way Home. This will be significantly helpful in dealing with Kang the Conqueror, who also has his own variants — some of them, the heroes may even be able to recruit for their own cause.
6Loki
Technically, Loki is dead in the Sacred Timeline, with his death in Avengers: Infinity War finally sticking. However, an alternate version of the character now exists outside of time and space, and if he’s able to make his way back into the main MCU, his knowledge about the multiverse and ties to the Time Variance Authority (TVA) will be significant in fighting Kang the Conqueror. It’s also worth noting that he has interacted with He Who Remains — a variant of the villain.
RELATED:MCU Theory Reveals Kang Is A Survivor Of The FIRST Multiverse War
5Ant-Man and the Wasp
Marvel Studios kick off the much-anticipated MCU Phase 5 with Ant-Man and the Wasp fighting Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Assuming that both survive the ordeal, the pair will have detailed knowledge of the villain, including his origins and motivations, which can help the Avengers come up with the proper strategy against the Conqueror. Their ability to access the Quantum Realm and first-hand knowledge of what it’s really like there are also great bonuses.
4America Chavez
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced a new hero in the MCU — America Chavez. Granted that it didn’t really get to delve deep into the character, but it established her as a multiverse travel veteran. It’s the reason why Scarlet Witch targeted her in the first place, which is a good indication of how unique her power is. This could help the Avengers in either running from or hunting down Kang the Conqueror across the multiverse.
3Shang-Chi and Ms. Marvel
MCU Phase 4 introduced several new heroes, many of them starred in their own projects. What’s unique about Shang-Chi and Ms. Marvel, however, is that their respective stories are theorized to have ties to Kang the Conqueror. Like the Infinity Stones in the Infinity Saga, Marvel Studios could also be incorporating McGuffins in Multiverse Saga projects, with Shang-Chi’s rings and Ms. Marvel’s armbands rumored to be connected to Kang the Conqueror’s powers. Assuming that this is actually the case, then both heroes are poised to play big roles in the fight against the villain in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
2Ironheart and Shuri
Director Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever not only debuted Shuri as the new Black Panther, but it also established a connection with Riri Williams aka. Ironheart. Aside from being part of the next generation of heroes in the MCU, they’re also the smartest characters in the franchise. The death of Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame increased their importance in the franchise, but the impending war against Kang the Conqueror could highlight just how valuable they really are to the Avengers. They can team up for more advanced technology that could further explore the multiverse and even create new devices that are far more advanced than what the Conqueror uses.
RELATED:Kang Already Risks Repeating Marvel’s “Thanos Was Right” Problem
1The Watcher
On the heels of the Infinity Saga, the Marvel Cinematic Universe became bolder in their storytelling, trying new genres and formats in Phase 4 including the release of its first animated series, Marvel’s What If…?. While the Watcher primarily functioned as a narrator and a silent observer in the Disney+ series, the dangers posed by Infinity Ultron to the multiverse forced him to meddle, setting a precedence for the matter. If Kang the Conqueror does the same, it’s possible that the Watcher will once again get involved, and considering his ability to view and traverse the multiverse, he could play an important role in the defeat of the villain.
