When Marvel Studios launched Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was centered around one character: Kang (Jonathan Majors). Kang appeared, in various forms, in “Loki’s” two seasons, and he’s the big bad of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” so Disney invested heavily in bringing Kang to the MCU. Unfortunately, Majors’ personal legal issues pushed Disney to look elsewhere, dropping Majors and Kang from its Phase 5 and 6 plans in favor of Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), the ultimate villain of “Avengers: Doomsday,” set for release on December 18, 2026.
When Kang left the MCU, most fans likely believed he wouldn’t be seen again, but that’s no longer the case. In “X-Men ‘97” Season 2, Kang makes a comeback, and he looks and acts nothing like his live-action counterpart. Instead, Kang is in his Rama-Tut variant, and his look is taken straight out of the comics. Anyone unfamiliar with Rama-Tut from his comic book runs might not realize he is Kang, as the character has existed in various forms since his introduction in “Fantastic Four” #19, published all the way back in October 1963.
Kang Is Back With a Classic Look
Kang’s look is taken straight from the comics, when he donned the Rama-Tut personality while ruling Ancient Egypt. He managed to reign over Egypt twice in the comics, using his superior 30th-century technology against a people who couldn’t understand it. Rama-Tut appears in “X-Men ‘97” Season 2, Episode 3, where he’s shown to be instrumental in the origin of En Sabah Nur, better known to “X-Men” fans as Apocalypse. He leads a rebellion against Rama-Tut’s tyranny, threatening everything the villainous ruler has built for himself in the past.
Majors isn’t involved in this latest incarnation of Kang in any way, as Disney has seemingly stopped working with the actor altogether. Instead, he’s voiced by John de Lancie, best known for playing Q on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Anyone familiar with de Lancie will immediately recognize his distinctive voice as the new Kang/Rama-Tut. What’s great about Rama-Tut’s inclusion in “X-Men ‘97” is that it’s a return to form for the character, interweaving one of Marvel’s most dastardly villains into an already popular series that’s likely to influence the MCU moving forward.
A New Kang Variant Could Indicate More Are on the Way
One of the best things about Kang is how he’s represented completely differently depending on which time he happens to be living in. In Ancient Egypt, Kang is an evil overlord who rules the country with an iron fist. In the 21st century, he’s a superhero known as Iron Lad who founds the Young Avengers alongside Patriot, Wiccan, Hulkling, and Stature. The fact that a familiar variant has returned to the MCU with an entirely new actor voicing him suggests that more could follow, especially if Marvel Studios gets its “Young Avengers” project off the ground.
The studio has clearly been working toward that end, and while there’s no film or streaming series announcement of a project as of writing, the introduction of Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), Eli Bradley (Elijah Richardson), Kid Loki (Jack Veal), Tommy Shepherd (Jett Klyne & Ruaridh Mollica), Billy Kaplan (Joe Locke), and America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) leads fans to believe it could happen. If it does, a “Young Avengers” movie or TV series would provide ample opportunity for Kang to return as Iron Lad, though it’s unlikely de Lancie would continue to play the character in that capacity.
“X-Men ‘97” is currently streaming on Disney+ with new episodes dropping July 8, 15, 22, 29, August 5, and concluding on August 12, 2026.
