Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania finally introduced the MCU at large to Kang, the next Thanos-level threat facing the franchise’s assortment of heroes.
Jonathan Majors’ Kang was technically introduced via Disney Plus’ Loki, but not every Marvel fan has the dedication to watch each fresh release. The streaming service is already populated by a slew of Marvel spin-off series, each of which ties into the larger MCU and helps fill in the blanks of what happens between theatrical releases.
Despite his actual introduction in Loki, it was Quantumania that truly presented Kang as the next major MCU baddie. His performance is broadly celebrated, despite some fans finding the role lackluster, but few people are actually viewing Kang as a major threat. He just didn’t seem that intimidating, facing off against Scott Lang with M.O.D.O.K. at his side.
The true threat of Kang has yet to reveal itself in the MCU, but longtime comics fans are well aware of how capable he truly is as a villain. Kang is a genuinely terrifying character, one whose capabilities go far beyond what was detailed in Quantumania. It is with this in mind that Marvel fans are dreaming up a future standoff between Kang and one of the franchise’s most popular characters: Spider-Man.
In the wake of Kang’s full introduction, MCU fans are looking to the future. They’ve got their sights set on films like Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, and they’re pumped to see Kang test his mettle against everyone’ favorite Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Tom Holland’s take on the character is almost universally popular, and fans are looking forward to seeing his Peter Parker — who’s grown into a capable hero over a handful of years in the MCU — face off against the might of Kang.
Fans are already dreaming up scenarios in which Peter and Kang could face-off, and pitching their ideas for dialogue, storylines, and various additions that would level-up any Spider-Man/Kang battle.
After the harsh conclusion of Spider-Man: No Way Home, fans are looking forward to a return to Spider-Man’s roots. The character was left, at the end of his third solo film, as a broke college-aged kid trying to scrape by in a New York City that doesn’t remember him, and in many cases doesn’t like Spider-Man. This poises him to shift away from the well-funded Spidey we’ve seen thus far in the MCU, and returns him to the good-hearted, simple hero most fans know from comics.
With this in mind, people are imagining up what Kang might seek to use against Peter when they finally meet. He’s lost a lot, recently, and some viewers think it will give Kang just the in he needs.
Then there are those who are simply excited to see Kang and Spider-Man fight. Kang is an intimidating foe, there’s no arguing that, but Spidey’s no slouch. He’s more capable than many of the Avengers — past and present — and he’s only gotten better over the course of the MCU.
The MCU hasn’t put out the strongest releases, of late, but fans are still hoping for another Infinity War or No Way Home. Quantumania was largely a let down, particularly for fans expecting more from Kang’s big unveiling, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Kang Dynasty will be bad. A face-off between the likes of Kang and Spider-Man is all but guaranteed to deliver… unless it doesn’t.
For now, the mere notion of Spider-Man and Kang coming to blows is enough to keep MCU hype high, but that passion may fade if the trend of disappointing MCU releases continues. The pressure on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 went up immensely when Quanumania wasn’t received well, and if the film flops even Spider-Man vs Kang might not be enough to save The Kang Dynasty.