Loki Season 2 Is Continuing A Bizarre Kang Trend That Can"t Go On Forever

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Summary

Kang the Conqueror has been portrayed as weak in the MCU, as he has been defeated and killed off in each appearance, hindering his ability to prove his strength.
The upcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will feature Kang as the primary antagonist, but given his track record, it seems easy for the Avengers to defeat him.
Marvel Studios has the opportunity to strengthen Kang's character and prove his power before the release of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, potentially by reversing the deaths of some of his variants or exploring their fates further.

One detrimental Kang the Conqueror trend continued in Loki season 2, but Marvel Studios needs to change this pattern to make Kang a real threat in the MCU. Kang the Conqueror has been set up as the overarching villain of the MCU's Multiverse Saga, taking over from Thanos, who wreaked havoc on the MCU during Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. While Thanos was seldom seen before his Phase 3 conquest, however, Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror has been an ever-present threat following the debut of one of his variants, He Who Remains, in 2021's Loki season 1. However, Marvel Studios has also introduced a major problem concerning Kang the Conqueror.
Jonathan Majors has so far portrayed three different primary variants of Kang the Conqueror in the MCU's Multiverse Saga. He Who Remains appeared in Loki season 1, Kang the Conqueror himself ruled over the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Loki season 2 introduced Victor Timely to the MCU. These appearances are building up to Majors' starring spot in 2026's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, though this fate has been thrown into jeopardy in a damning report by Variety. However, Majors' arrest and assault allegations aren't the only problems facing Kang the Conqueror in the MCU, and Timely's apparent demise in Loki season 2 only exacerbates this issue.
Victor Timely’s Loki Season 2 Death Means Kang Still Hasn’t Proven His Strength Close During Loki season 2, episode 4, "Heart of the TVA," Victor Timely shockingly met his apparent demise while trying to repair the TVA's Temporal Loom. While this death added to the impact of episode 4's intense cliffhanger ending, it also continued a trend from Majors' previous MCU appearances that makes Kang the Conqueror look weak. In all three of Majors' appearances as Kang and his variants, the villain has been defeated by the MCU's heroes and killed off. This means that Kang the Conqueror simply hasn't had the chance to properly prove his strength in the MCU, which makes his future in the franchise all the more confusing.
In Loki season 1's finale, Loki and Sylvie came face-to-face with He Who Remains, the man behind the TVA. In an effort to complete her life's mission, Sylvie dispatched of the enigmatic villain, unleashing the multiverse of the MCU and throwing the TVA into chaos. Majors' next appearance as the exiled Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania saw Scott Lang's Ant-Man and Hope Van Dyne's Wasp thrust Kang into his exploding multiversal power core, apparently killing the villain but leaving his true fate unclear. Victor Timely's demise in Loki season 2 means that not a single primary Kang variant in the MCU has yet survived.
Kang The Conqueror Needs To Pose A Threat To The MCU Before Phase 6

Kang the Conqueror was billed as the overarching adversary of the Multiverse Saga prior to his debut in Loki season 1, so it was assumed that he'd show off his power at every turn. However, killing Kang in each of his MCU appearances means he hasn't done this at all and has instead been made to seem incredibly weak. Despite the villain and his variants expected to battle the MCU's New Avengers team in The Kang Dynasty, the fact that Sylvie, Ant-Man, and time itself (which he is supposed to be the master of) has killed the villain means it must be easy for the upcoming Avengers team defeat him.
Luckily, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty isn't set to release until 2026, so there is still plenty of time for Marvel Studios to set a stronger foundation for Kang and his variants. The villain needs to prove his strength before facing the Avengers in Phase 6, and though Majors' hasn't been confirmed to be appearing in any further projects between Loki season 2 and The Kang Dynasty, it's possible he could show his face and potentially succeed in whatever mission he embarks on next. It's also possible that Marvel Studios could simply reverse the deaths of some of these variants of Kang the Conqueror, helping to solve this issue further.
How The MCU Can Fix Its Kang The Conqueror Mistake

Despite Victor Timely's death occurring in Loki season 2, episode 4, it's possible that this could have been a red herring. Since Timely was killed by the time energy coming from the Temporal Loom, it's possible he could have simply been splintered through time, which the remaining episodes of Loki season 2 may investigate. This same technique can be used for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's Kang the Conqueror, as many theories suggest that he didn't actually die but became trapped inside his multiversal power core. This could create the opportunity for this version of Kang to return, though it's unclear exactly what the future holds for Jonathan Majors' villain.
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