Summary

• Marvel Studios may have a hard time finding an actor willing to play Kang, as Jonathan Majors was dropped due to harassment and assault allegations.
• A popular fan choice for the role has made it clear that he is not interested in stepping into the role through a tweet response.
• The role is now saddled with baggage, and some actors may want to steer clear of a role with such an unfortunate background.

The MCU may be looking for a new actor to play Marvel officially dropped Majors after the actor was found guilty of harassment and assault on December 18, 2023. At this point, it's unclear if Marvel Studios will recast Kang and his many variants or if the franchise will simply pivot away from the villain and look to a new threat to headline the next Avengers movies.

If Marvel Studios chooses to recast Kang, which presently seems to make the most narrative sense, the studio may have a hard time finding an actor willing to take the role. Large franchise commitments can be challenging in and of themselves, but Kang is clearly not saddled with significant baggage. While there are undoubtedly talented actors who would love the chance to headline the next several years of the MCU, one popular fan pick wants nothing to do with it.

John Boyega Already Proved He Doesn't Want To Play Kang In The MCU

Though he's starred in movies like Pacific Rim: Uprising, Attack the Block, and The Woman King, John Boyega is perhaps best known as Finn from the recent Star Wars sequel trilogy. Given his clear talent acting in both high-octane action scenes and more nuanced dialogue-driven moments, Boyega has been a popular Kang fancast since word of Majors' allegations first surfaced. However, Boyega made it clear on Twitter/X back in November 2023 that he is not interested in stepping into the role.

A month before Marvel Studios confirmed that it's ending its professional relationship with Majors, a fan told Boyega to "tell anthony mackie to connect you w whoever in charge of recasting kang." In lieu of a long, wordy answer, Boyega responded with a simple GIF of Donkey from Shrek vigorously shaking his head no. Of course, actors can change their minds about potential roles for a wide array of reasons, but Boyega seems confident that Kang isn't a role that fits his current interests.

What Else Boyega Has Said About Taking A Marvel Role

While Boyega's recent response to the possibility of taking over as Kang is clear, it isn't the first time he's engaged with the possibility of playing a role in the MCU. In an August 2022 interview with Men's Health, Boyega responded to rumors of him taking an unspecified role in the MCU with the deflection that he's more interested in smaller films with fresher ideas. Read his full quotation below:

"That’s not in the vision for me now. I want to do nuanced things. I want to donate my services to original indie films that come with new, fresh ideas, because I know it’s real hard to top Iron Man in that universe."

Since his tenure with Star Wars ended with 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Boyega has largely lived up to that statement. However, if he eventually does change his mind, the MCU would be lucky to have the talented actor take a role - Kang or otherwise. Regardless, Marvel Studios is on the precipice of change, and only time will tell what happens to the story and role of Kang moving forward.

Source: John Boyega/Twitter/X