The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is reportedly moving away from the character Kang, played by Jonathan Majors, due to the actor's legal troubles and the lack of future projects that require Kang's presence. While Kang was a significant villain in the Loki series, the storyline seems concluded, and the movie where Kang was the main antagonist, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, was poorly received. Marvel may explore other storylines and potential villains like Doctor Doom or Magneto instead.
Actress Michelle Pfeiffer celebrated reaching three million Instagram followers by sharing a makeup-free selfie at the age of 65. Pfeiffer, known for her roles in films like Scarface and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, expressed gratitude to her fans and discussed her enthusiasm for taking on diverse roles in her later years. She also expressed surprise at being part of the Marvel world and stated that she has learned to be less nervous about new roles as her career has progressed.
The victim of Jonathan Majors' alleged assault, his girlfriend Grace Jabbari, was once employed by Marvel as a "Movement Coach" for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Majors has been accused of various acts of assault or abuse, but Marvel or Disney have not commented on his future in the MCU. The character he plays, Kang, is part of the Avengers 5 title, but it is unclear if he will continue to play the role or if there will be a recast.
Marvel Studios released a new promotional video for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, featuring Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, the main antagonist of the film. The video also includes the words "A new dynasty begins," hinting at the upcoming Avengers film, The Kang Dynasty, and Secret Wars, which are expected to feature him in a prominent role. The inclusion of Majors in the promotional clip suggests that Marvel might not be planning to recast him despite his recent arrest controversy.
Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will be available on digital retailers on April 18 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 16. The film follows the adventures of Ant-Man and The Wasp as they explore the Quantum Realm and face off against Kang the Conqueror. Bonus features include a gag reel, audio commentary, featurettes, and deleted scenes.
Victoria Alonso, former Marvel executive, reportedly clashed with the studio over blurring gay pride references in the latest Ant-Man movie for the Kuwait market. Alonso, who is gay, refused to have her team make the edit as part of her duties overseeing visual effects and postproduction at Marvel. Hollywood studios have long struggled with censorship in countries with anti-LGBTQ laws, particularly those in the Middle East.
Actor Jonathan Majors has been arraigned on charges of assault and harassment in New York City. His defense attorney claims that the woman who accused him has taken back her allegations in written statements and that Majors called 911 himself over concerns for her mental health. The Army has pulled a marketing campaign featuring Majors, and forthcoming video and witness statements are expected to clear him of any wrongdoing. Majors is currently starring in the films Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Creed III.
Victoria Alonso, Marvel Studios Vice President, has reportedly left the company less than a month after Disney CEO Bob Iger questioned the quality of recent Marvel films and TV series and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania failed at the box office. The reasons for Alonso's exit are unclear. Her departure comes amid reports of horrid conditions for VFX artists and companies working with Marvel Studios. Alonso was a big advocate for representation and woke ideology within Marvel Studios. However, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has already indicated he will continue to promote LGBTQ+ characters in Marvel films.
Marvel has filed a DMCA subpoena request in California federal district court to uncover the identity of the Reddit user who leaked a 63-page transcript of dialogue from "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" in January, just a month before the movie's release. The leaked dialogue was edited and/or displayed in a Portuguese web interface and was likely intended for use in subtitles. Marvel has requested identifying information for the user responsible for posting the content on the r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers subreddit, as well as any other users responsible for editing or maintaining the content. A similar request has been filed for Google, where the same information was allegedly shared on a Google Doc.
