Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will turn Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange into a major villain if a new report is to be believed.
The report comes via The Cosmic Circus. It cites unnamed sources close to the fifth Avengers instalment who claim that the movie will see the Marvel Cinematic Universe divided into two factions, one headed by Doctor Strange and the other headed by Kang the Conqueror. These sources go on to say that the twist here is that Kang is actually trying to protect the Multiverse from Strange, who has gone rogue. Marvel Studios is yet to publicly comment on the report, which means it should be taken with a grain of salt for now.
In the event that Strange does indeed break bad in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, comments by screenwriter Jeff Loveness suggest his battle with Kang will result in plenty of casualties. Loveness teased the upcoming blockbuster's high death toll in a recent interview, in response to fans who expected to see a more ruthless version of Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. "I think for these bloodthirsty fans, there's a little movie called Avengers: Kang Dynasty, I think he'll bring the heat," he said. This tracks with as-yet-unverified rumors that The Kang Dynasty will bump off a major Ant-Man character: Scott Lang, Hank Pym or Janet van Dyne.
Will Deadpool 3 Set Up Avengers 5?
The potential demise of one or more fan-favorite MCU heroes is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty speculation. Another notable rumor alleges that Deadpool 3 will set the stage for the hotly-anticipated sequel. The third Deadpool outing (which serves as the Merc with a Mouth's MCU debut) will supposedly cement the importance of the Multiverse to the MCU's overarching narrative. It will allegedly position Deadpool himself as a major player going forward, too. That said, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds isn't officially attached to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty at this stage.
Several other MCU stars are officially onboard for the movie, however. Loveness recently confirmed that several of the shared universe's veteran performers will appear in The Kang Dynasty, noting that they were an even bigger draw than the characters they play. "We got Florence Pugh, and Jonathan Majors, and Letitia Wright," he said. "We've got such a deep bench of really good actors… I think we're excited for the actors more than even the characters right now."
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty arrives in theaters on May 2, 2025.
Source: Cosmic Circus