MCU Theory Suggests An Avenger Is The Real Multiverse Saga Villain

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One new theory suggests that Kang the Conqueror isn't actually the villain of the MCU's Multiverse Saga but that it could instead be an Avenger. Now that the MCU's Phase 5 has kicked off with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, many are wondering what other stories will unfold in the Multiverse Saga as Marvel Studios builds up to the climactic Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. So far, Jonathan Majors has been introduced as the Multiverse Saga's major villain, Kang the Conqueror, but things could go very differently as Phases 5 and 6 continue to grow.
After his debut as He Who Remains in Loki's season 1 finale, Majors reprised his role as another Kang variant in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, this time portraying the Conqueror version of the villain, who had built a grand empire after being exiled to the Quantum Realm. Quantumania also introduced the Council of Kangs to the MCU, including the likes of Immortus, Rama-Tut, and a variant which could be the Scarlet Centurion, who have arguably been set up to collectively be more threatening villains than Kang the Conqueror himself. However, one theory suggests that Kang isn't the Multiverse Saga's villain at all but rather the multiverse's savior.
Kang Could Save The Multiverse… From Doctor Strange

The theory poses that the MCU's Phase 6 will feature an epic battle between Kang the Conqueror and Doctor Strange, though this would be told from the perspective of Kang as a hero and Strange as a villain. For the MCU's Infinity Saga, a similar large-scale battle took place between Thanos and Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, with the pair battling hand-to-hand in Avengers: Infinity War and Stark eventually defeating the Mad Titan in Avengers: Endgame. For the Multiverse Saga, Doctor Strange has been teased as a key player thanks to his involvement in multiversal projects such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Doctor Strange currently knows more about the multiverse than any other MCU hero, even though he hasn't yet gone toe-to-toe with Kang the Conqueror like Scott Lang, a.k.a. Ant-Man, did in Quantumania. This means that a battle between Strange and Kang is all but inevitable, but this could see Kang's motivation from Quantumania be fully realized, as he mentioned that his goal is to save the multiverse. It was assumed that he meant to save the multiverse from his other, perhaps more malicious, variants, but he could, in fact, be teasing Doctor Strange as a villain for the MCU's Multiverse Saga.
Doctor Strange Has Been Antagonistic In Previous MCU Projects

At first glance, this theory might sound implausible, as Doctor Strange is steadfast in his mission to protect the 616-universe from otherworldly threats. However, previous MCU projects have teased Strange's descent into villainy, so it's certainly not outside the realm of possibility. Doctor Strange saw the new Master of the Mystic Arts overtly break the laws of nature to save the Earth, despite Mordo's menacing warnings. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness also hinted at a very dark path for Strange, with Earth-838's Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic, even suggesting that the greatest threat to the multiverse is Doctor Strange.
Phase 4's What If...? provided the most detailed exploration of Strange's darkness, as Doctor Strange Supreme tried everything in his power to change an absolute point and save Christine's life. This saw Strange abuse the Time Stone and cast dangerous spells that transformed him into a monster, and though this hasn't yet come to pass in the live-action MCU, Multiverse of Madness teased a dark future for Strange. Not only did he use the Darkhold to dreamwalk, acquiring a sinister third eye, but Clea also revealed that Strange had caused an incursion, which must be reason enough for Kang the Conqueror to want to eliminate Strange as a multiversal threat.
Doctor Strange Would Be A Very Powerful MCU Villain

Stephen Strange's incredible intellect and mastery of the Mystic Arts would make him a formidable opponent for any character in the MCU, especially after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw him hold his own against the Darkhold-corrupted Scarlet Witch. What If...? proved that a darker Doctor Strange could cause unimaginable damage to the multiverse, as Strange Supreme's actions brought about the collapse of his entire reality. Strange's ego in the MCU has often been one of his most dangerous personality traits, which could feasibly lead to him becoming a villain in Phase 6 without him even realizing it, just as his Earth-838 counterpart did.
Avengers: Infinity War saw how effortlessly Doctor Strange could battle a villain such as Thanos, and What If...? proved that Infinity Ultron was no match for Strange, so it's likely that he would be able to stand his ground in a fight against Kang the Conqueror. This is especially true if Strange keeps acquiring new abilities, as Multiverse of Madness saw him able to harness the power of various creatures and even quickly learn how to control his third eye. It's possible that Strange's future adventures in the MCU's Multiverse Saga could see the Avenger become a villain, which could flip the script on Kang the Conqueror's MCU journey.
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