Avengers: The Kang Dynasty has the unique opportunity to address a common complaint in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's epic team-up films. As the first Avengers film in the Multiverse Saga, The Kang Dynasty is a highly-anticipated event, which will see Earth's Mightiest Heroes go head-to-head with the Council of Kangs, an organization of Kang the Conqueror's variants from all corners of the vast multiverse. The unique nature of this antagonistic force may prove beneficial to the franchise as a whole, especially as it heads into its fifteenth year, fixing criticisms that have been present from the earliest days of the MCU's Avengers movies.
The Council of Kangs debuted in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's mid-credits scene, called to order by Kang the Conqueror's defeat in the Quantum Realm. Kang's villainous variants include Rama-Tut, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh; the Scarlet Centurion, a futuristic warrior with cybernetic implants; and Immortus, the apparent leader of the council. Upon their meeting, Immortus is shown summoning other Kang variants from every universe, filling an otherworldly arena with different versions of himself as he plots war with the Avengers. The Council of Kangs is therefore expected to make its move soon, playing into the events of Phase 5 and Phase 6's movies and Disney+ series.
The Avengers Can't Fight Another Faceless CGI Army
The Kang Dynasty must avoid pitting the Avengers against another faceless CGI army. Avengers movies generally have humongous casts of heroes and one very well-developed main antagonist, making it easier and less time-consuming for each film to introduce a computer-generated army of mindless minions for the Avengers to fight in the final act. The Avengers featured Loki's army of Chitauri soldiers, Age of Ultron included a legion of artificial sentries, and Thanos was flanked by a massive army of mixed alien species in Infinity War and Endgame. Although each of these films was quite successful, it is time for their rather repetitive third act to undergo a long-overdue change.
The MCU's proclivity toward including mindless drones for its heroes to fight also quells moral concerns. While the MCU's villains are expected to kill without qualms, the franchise's heroes are held to a higher moral standard. If the Avengers were locked in battle against thinking, feeling minions, their actions would risk being perceived as less heroic by audiences. It is, therefore, less complicated for the Avengers to battle thoughtless minions, whose deaths leave little moral quandary. However, the repetition of this trope also robs the Avengers films' final battles of their impact, exchanging emotion with shallow action that requires little thought on the part of the characters or the audience.
The Council Of Kangs Can Elevate The Avengers' Next Battle
The Council of Kangs can reverse the Avengers franchise's oldest trope and make The Kang Dynasty's final battle even more epic. The Council of Kangs is key to Phase 5 of the MCU, as the variants therein are preparing to conquer the entire multiverse. While Kang the Conqueror was set up as the primary villain of the Multiverse Saga, it would appear that his variants pose an even bigger threat to the Avengers, especially because there is an endless number of Kangs for the council to draw from. These Kang variants, who are all portrayed by Jonathan Majors, are a far cry from the Avengers movies' typical faceless army.
Quantumania's mid-credits scene sets up a new army for the Avengers to face in The Kang Dynasty, comprised of Kang's many multiversal variants. Some of these variants, like Immortus, Rama-Tut, and Scarlet Centurion, are poised for major roles in future MCU projects, which can explore their backstories and motivations. Other Kang variants shown in Quantumania's end credits scene may prove less important, serving as the Council of Kang's cannon fodder. However, audiences still have a connection to each of these Kang variants through Jonathan Majors' portrayal, which gives each soldier depth. Unlike the Chitauri, Ultron sentries, or the Outriders, the army of Kangs is not comprised of mindless drones.
The MCU Is Already Doing Justice To Its Kang Variants
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is already making great use of its many Kang variants by using them in films and series. Loki Season 2 will feature multiple Kang variants, including Victor Timely, who was briefly seen in Quantumania's final end-credit scene. Furthermore, the other Kangs depicted in Quantumania will also most likely appear in projects in Phase 5 and Phase 6, filling the space until The Kang Dynasty finally hits theaters. Variants like Immortus, Rama-Tut, and the Scarlet Centurion should all be well-known to audiences by the time they come across Earth's Mightiest Heroes at the end of the Multiverse Saga.
The Council of Kangs also gives the MCU freedom to explore endless variants in as many films and series as necessary. Even War Machine's solo film Armor Wars could feature Kang variants like Mr. Gryphon, who can menace the Avengers in a more terrestrial setting. This would serve to deepen the lore surrounding Kang and his variants, making each and every version of the dangerous villain interesting and complex. Unlike Loki, Ultron, or Thanos, Kang brings an army of seasoned warriors to battle against his enemies and will surely give Earth-616's heroes the fight of their lives both before and during the events of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
