The MCU has received a huge blow as Marvel Studios parts ways with Jonathan Majors, but the shake-up makes one controversial movie change better.

The MCU has some big questions to answer as Marvel Studios moves away from Kang actor Jonathan Majors, but the movie makes Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania‘s controversial ending changes seem way better in hindsight. After months of speculation, Jonathan Majors was recently found guilty of assault and harassment, and Marvel Studios announced it was ending its professional relationship with the actor almost immediately after. That leaves the studio with the choice of recasting Kang or moving on from the character altogether.

More than just having to deal with what to do with Avengers 5, which has reportedly cut the subtitle The Kang Dynasty in internal communications, the MCU will have to make sure their plans meld with what’s happened and what’s happening in the wider MCU. Serious, real-life problems wholly and undoubtedly take precedence over narrative concerns in entertainment, but Marvel Studios will still want to do the best it can to keep its story flowing logically. Fortunately, Quantumania may be inadvertently helping 10 months after its release.

Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania Underwent Last-Minute Reshoots

The ending of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has proved divisive with fans. While the movie seems to set up a tragic defeat for Ant-Man at the hands of Kang, the final few minutes seem to switch tones dramatically and rush to a happy ending featuring the Ant-Family together and Kang seemingly dead in the Quantum Engine. Unsurprisingly, set photos and videos reveal that Quantumania‘s ending was indeed re-done via reshoots. It’s impossible to say what the original ending was with 100 percent certainty, but reports indicate the original plan was to have Scott stuck in the Quantum Realm and Kang escape into the world.

Why Quantumania’s Reshoots Are Saving Marvel Studios From A Big Kang Problem

At the time, and in the months since release, Quantumania‘s ending seemed to disappointingly lack consequences. However, with the benefit of hindsight, the reported changes may have avoided an awkward dangling plot thread for the MCU. It’s unclear if the plan was to eventually bring Kang the Conqueror, as seen in Quantumania, back and reveal the Quantum Engine didn’t kill him, but now it’s easy to stick with the explanation that he’s gone.

Even if Marvel Studios chooses to stick with Kang and recast the character, it would make sense that Kang would be presented via new variants moving forward to explain the change in appearance. Since Quantumania provided a reasonable explanation for Kang the Conqueror never being seen again if the franchise so chooses, there won’t be any inconsistencies in why he looked liked Jonathan Majors one minute and someone else the next. Suspension of disbelief could have made it work if necessary, but now it’s simply a variant and plotline that can be kept in the past.

What Kang Plot Threads Are Still Open In The MCU?

Despite being billed as the big bad of the MCU Multiverse Saga, there are surprisingly few Kang story threads in the franchise. Moreover, only one remains open. As discussed, the MCU can easily treat the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as the death of Kang the Conqueror. He Who Remains was present in Loki seasons 1 and 2, but his story ended with the Loki season 2 finale. Victor Timely is a Kang variant who’s still alive, but most versions of the character were prevented from their introduction to time travel by the TVA, and only one version with good intentions still presumably works at the organization.

The only dangling plot thread is the Council of Kangs from the Quantumania post-credits scene. Thousands of Kangs are shown there, all played by Majors. Moreover, it introduces three central variants – Scarlet Centurion, Immortus, and Rama-Tut. However, with the TVA now monitoring Kangs across the multiverse, the MCU could easily say that the organization took care of the council, wrapping things up for the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania story and Kang’s loose threads altogether.