The MCU’s decision to cast Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom and replace Kang the Conqueror has been somewhat controversial, to say the least, and I am starting to sympathize with the detractors after watching Daredevil: Born Again. The Multiverse Saga has suffered significant criticism overall – especially when comparing it to the MCU’s Infinity Saga. Detractors mostly take aim at its lack of direction, oversaturation, and a general downturn in dependability as more movies than ever fail to win over fans and critics alike. The confusion surrounding Kang the Conqueror also plays a huge role.
Thankfully, the Multiverse Saga still houses plenty of hits. Daredevil: Born Again is the latest example, earning widespread acclaim as one of the best shows released by the MCU. Of course, it was set in good stead by its predecessor, the Netflix-based Daredevil, which introduced such powerhouses as Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk. Instead of leaning into its new and existing cast, however, Marvel has now been subjected to accusations of unoriginality by spotlighting the face of the MCU, Robert Downey Jr., once more now that he has supplanted Kang as the Multiverse Saga’s arch-villain.
Last Year, Marvel Cast RDJ As Doctor Doom To Replace Jonathan Majors’ Kang
Jonathan Majors Was Fired By Marvel
He Who Remains debuted in Loki season 1 in June 2021 and laid the groundwork for Kang’s arrival as the Multiverse Saga’s arch-villain when regaling Loki and Sylvie about the Multiversal War waged between his variants. Jonathan Majors’ frenetic performance was enthralling and stoked excitement for further appearances down the line. He would only appear twice more, however, in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Loki season 2. His performances as the domineering Kang the Conqueror and diminutive Victor Timely were eclectic, though the former suffered a significant blow.
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The MCU already introduced Kang the Conqueror’s main multiversal variants, which will likely be the villains of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Despite his arch-villain set-up, Kang the Conqueror was ostensibly killed off by Ant-Man and the Wasp. This significantly dampened the MCU villain’s threat levels, while Quantumania‘s underperformance at the box office suggested that Kang wasn’t as much of a pull as Marvel Studios might have hoped. This might have already destabilized Kang’s MCU future, while Jonathan Majors’ subsequent arrest in March 2023 for misdemeanor charges of assault and strangulation threatened it further. Swiftly following a conviction for two misdemeanor counts of harassment and assault in December of the same year, Marvel fired Jonathan Majors.
Loki season 2 ended with a scene in which the TVA was shown to be keeping on top of Kang variants, leading many to believe this was Marvel Studios beginning to write the villain out of the franchise.
Preceding this were rumors that Marvel was already eyeing a pivot from Kang to Doom in the summer of 2023. The first half of 2024 was then mired in uncertainty as Marvel neither re-cast Kang nor announced what his flagship movie, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, was being replaced with. Finally, San Diego Comic-Con in 2024 unveiled that Robert Downey Jr. would be portraying Doctor Doom and that Avengers: Doomsday would be the first Avengers movie since Avengers: Endgame.
The decision to spotlight Doctor Doom was universally praised. However, despite the raucous response in Hall H at the time of the announcement, there has been some trepidation about reintroducing RDJ to the MCU out of fear of dampening his legacy as Iron Man or running roughshod over Doom’s typical characterization. I think Marvel could have avoided this by instead spotlighting another villain whose legacy is also unassailable, and who is still very much active in the MCU today.
Daredevil: Born Again Has Me Convinced Kingpin Would’ve Been A Great Kang Replacement
Kingpin Is A Universally Beloved Villain
After watching the first four episodes of Daredevil: Born Again, I am once more blown away by Vincent D’Onofrio’s performance as Kingpin and how well-written the character is. I know I’m not alone in placing Kingpin up with the likes of Thanos as one of the MCU’s greatest and most compelling villains, and I can’t help but think it would have been a shrewd move by Marvel to capitalize on his incredible popularity. I know Kingpin isn’t exactly a Thanos-level threat, but Marvel could have used that to its advantage.
This could have easily spotlighted some of Marvel’s new and popular characters, like Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and Moon Knight, whose powers pale in comparison to legacy Avengers like Scarlet Witch and Thor.
Fans have been clamoring for street-level adventures since the Infinity Saga centered on all things cosmic. This is especially true regarding one of Marvel’s most popular characters, Spider-Man, whose origins root him in the streets of New York – hence the “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” moniker. I would argue that Kingpin is the Thanos of the street level and Daredevil: Born Again has centered on the perfect narrative for his saga-spanning antagonism.
In a move that mirrors the comics, Kingpin is now rallying against vigilantism on the streets of New York. This could lead to outright outlawing the practice, which is the perfect unifier for a team of street-level Avengers. Marvel could have even raised the stakes by having him attempt the same as the US President. This could have easily spotlighted some of Marvel’s new and popular characters, like Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and Moon Knight, whose powers pale in comparison to legacy Avengers like Scarlet Witch and Thor.
I Understand Why Marvel Pivoted To Doctor Doom Instead Of Kingpin
Doom Is Better Positioned For The Multiverse Saga
Alas, I know this would not have made much sense in the current era of the MCU. Despite debuting a litany of street-level heroes (and not doing much with them since, I might add), Marvel is now past the halfway point of the Multiverse Saga, and I understand that “Multiverse” is the operative word. For all intents and purposes, this saga should be more cosmically focused than the Infinity Saga ever was as it deals with not just one but countless universes.
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With that in mind, I understand that Kingpin isn’t exactly the best fit. If the Multiverse Saga is supposed to spotlight a villain whose threat levels should surpass those of Thanos himself, then Kingpin, for all his strategic genius, isn’t that guy. To be perfectly honest, neither is Kang (though a multiversal army of Kang’s might be). Doctor Doom, on the other hand, is another matter – and even though his ascension to the Multiverse Saga arch-villain position was messy, I ultimately think Marvel made the right choice.
Still, I Hope Marvel Doesn’t Waste Kingpin As An Avengers-Level Villain
Street-Level Heroes Shouldn’t Turn A Blind Eye To His Villainy
Custom Image By Simone Ashmoore
While D’Onofrio is still able and willing to portray the iconic character, I think Marvel should still consider capitalizing on Kingpin. While I can accept that he doesn’t quite meet the criteria for heading up an entire saga, there is plenty of potential to center him as an Avengers-level villain. Kingpin has proved how he can wield political power as dangerously as any villain can wield a superpower, and Marvel has the chance to turn his antagonism into a particularly compelling and unique challenge for a team of Avengers to face.
In fact, if Daredevil: Born Again continues down the current route, it feels almost necessary for Marvel to tell this story. It would be mind-boggling for the litany of New York-based superheroes to turn a blind eye as Kingpin’s nefarious designs have now moved from Hell’s Kitchen to the entire city of 8 million citizens. A crossover event for the ages is primed to be told in Daredevil: Born Again, and I genuinely hope Marvel Studios has already considered bringing a new team together to rally against this threat down the line.
TV Show
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Daredevil: Born Again
9/10
Release Date
March 4, 2025
Showrunner
Chris Ord
Directors
Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Writers
Chris Ord