Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverwill officially end Phase 4 of theMarvel Cinematic Universe. Movies were supplanted with Disney+ series for the bulk of this phase. The shows range from the weird (WandaVision) to down-and-dirty street level (Hawkeye), but overall gave us the MCU fix we’re accustomed to. There has been one glaring hole in this formula; a big bad. Sure, the next loomingvillain, Kang the Conqueror, was introduced inLoki, but it was a quick “hey, how are you?” and done.
Thanos passed the mantle to Kang at the time of his dusting inAvengers: Endgameand the latter will make his first big appearance inAnt-Man and Wasp: Quantumaniaon August 14, 2025. Kang, played by Jonathan Majors, will have a big gauntlet to fill in his role as antagonist-in-chief. Thanos wasn’t so much a unique, creative villain as he was just a massive presence, voiced and played brilliantly by Josh Brolin. His quest to halve the universe to stem its starvation was something of a quirk since he ultimately meant well. But he also throttled the Hulk in seconds, wiped out 50 percent of all life, and nearly took out the Avengers. It’s a pretty stacked resume. Will Kang be able to match or surpass Thanos in the MCU?
Kang’s Comic History
Kang’s comics backstoryis complicated, as he’s taken on numerous forms and names over his years of publication. Boiled down, Kang (Nathaniel Richards) is a time-traveling genius, super scholar, warrior, and tyrant.
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Kang was first introduced back in 1963 as Rama-Tut, going up against the Fantastic Four, and one year later, he took on the Avengers as Kang. Kang is also an alternate timeline ancestor of Reed Richards, AKA Mr. Fantastic. Kang also suspects that he is somehow related to the Fantastic Four’s chief adversary Dr. Doom. He became obsessed with cross-dimensional and time travel at a young age and discovered a time machine assembled by the Benefactor. And this is the Cliffs Notes version of his history.
As mentioned, it’s complicated, as comics tend to be, when multiple earths are thrown into the mix. Convolution aside, Kang’s ultimate goal is to take over as many universes as possible via his time-jumping abilities and technological arsenal.
The Master of Time’s Mission
Kang’s mission breaks the despot meter, especially compared to Thanos, whose calling and “destiny” were on the simpler side. Thanos went for the quick fix, using brute force space magic to his ends. His purpose wasn’t to rule over worlds but to show them “mercy” by wiping out half of their populations. Once it was over, he simply walked away.
Kang’s mission is even more ambitious, as he wants all worlds and all universes in all timelines under his boot. If the MCU follows this storyline, which is likely as we’ve entered the Multiverse Saga, Kang will be the MCU’s most complicated and enterprising villain yet. He comes from a place of unspeakable technology and advancement and won’t let a few superhuman gnats like the Avengers stand in his way.
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Theshowdown inAvengers: The Kang Dynastywill be a fascinating watch when it hits theaters in 2025.
Powers and Abilities
Thanos not only had the aforementioned raw strength to beat the Hulk bloody, but ultimately the literal power of the universe on his knuckles. He controlled time, reality, space, and more with a thought. Kang’s abilities garner similar results, only through technology instead of elemental rocks. He benefits from 31st-century weaponry that gives him superhuman strength, energy projection, and controlover other technology, to name a few of its features. It’s the old vs. the new, Infinity Stones vs. Year 3000 gadgetry. Overall, the checkmark goes to Kang in his power to cross dimensions and universes.
Take away the gear, and Kang doesn’t have much in the way of power. He has a genius-level intellect and is an expert combatant, but the bulk of his ability comes from the armor. Minus the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos outmuscled the strongest earth could throw at him. Take away his toys, and the Avengers would likely trounce the Master of Time in short order. Hand to hand, the combined strength of Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America only managed to leave Thanos with a black eye. Call this one a draw.
The Thanos-Kang comparisons will come down to how much of the comics the MCU draws from. After all, Thanos’ comic abilities were dialed back and simplified for the sake of a mass audience, as have all of the backstories in this sprawling universe. It’s all about balancing the franchise to please both casual moviegoers and Marvel true believers. We can assume that Kevin Feige and company want the same with Kang. But if we get a sliver of the Kang from the comics, he ultimately has the edge over the Mad Titan. It’s up to theMCU teamand Majors to make him top his predecessor.
