The MCU is shaking things up big time lately. At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, the studio dropped the bombshell of the fifth Avengers movie ditching Kang, instead focusing on Doctor Doom, played by none other than Robert Downey Jr. While some are calling this a desperate move, others cannot wait to see Downey Jr. as the villain- all while keeping Iron Man's spirit alive. But the opinions are all over the map. 

A popular Hollywood insider recently shared what actually went down behind this decision to scrap Kang’s entire existence for Doom. 

Daniel Richtman recently answered a fan's question on X about why the MCU could not just stick with Kang after the studio dropped Jonathan Majors. Richtman clarified that the decision was not solely about Majors’ controversies. Kang just did not resonate with fans, and they wanted something that would galvanize the hype. "They realized there wasn’t much hype around the character”, said the insider. 

Richtman further added, “So they went with a gimmick casting of RDJ as Doom to get people excited for the Avengers film". He also mentioned that the decision to bring back Robert Downey Jr. has already paid off, despite the mixed response from fans, with the announcement video at Comic-Con becoming the most-viewed video on Instagram. Nonetheless, Marvel Studios' choice to reshape the next phase of the MCU with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars is about to kick off an exciting new chapter for fans. 

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This shift could not only end the challenges for the franchise but is also paving the way for a fresh storyline.

The Season 2 finale of Loki effectively tied up Kang’s storyline. This provided enough room for Marvel to change gears without ruining their overall plans for the Multiverse Saga. According to a report from Movieweb, Doctor Doom would take on a mission to take over Loki's spot as the ruler of the multiverse. This new storyline is expected to borrow elements from a mix of comic book arcs, including the 1984 Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars and the 2015 Secret Wars. 

Marvel Studios, however, is famous for taking creative liberties with comic book lore, so we can expect these films to put their own spin on the source material. Added to the plot, Robert Downey's comeback could also make for tons of meta references, especially with Spider-Man, that would resonate with the audience. But only time will tell if this new direction will help make up for Kang’s exit from the universe.

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What do you think about Daniel Richtman’s explanation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!