Marvel Explains Why Kang Returned After Jonathan Majors' Firing in X-MEN '97 Season 2
Just when it seemed like Marvel had completely moved on from Kang the Conqueror, the villain unexpectedly showed up again.
The return didn't happen in the live-action MCU, though. Instead, Kang resurfaced in X-Men '97 as his Rama-Tut variant, catching plenty of fans by surprise considering Marvel Studios parted ways with Jonathan Majors and shifted its long-term plans toward Doctor Doom.
Naturally, viewers started wondering if the appearance hinted at something bigger. Marvel Studios has now offered some clarity on why Kang found his way back into the story.
Speaking with ScreenRant, supervising producer Jake Castorena explained that Rama-Tut's appearance wasn't a last-minute addition or a reaction to recent changes within the MCU.
According to him, the character had been part of the show's creative blueprint from the beginning. "He was there from the very early drafts. As far as I remember, that was always in script phase."
That means Kang's animated comeback was already locked in long before Marvel pivoted away from the character in its live-action plans. It's also the first time anyone has portrayed Kang in a Marvel project since Majors was fired by the studio.
Even so, Castorena stopped short of saying whether Rama-Tut's appearance had any connection to larger Marvel Studios plans. When asked if there were discussions about how Kang fit into the bigger picture, he admitted he wasn't part of those conversations.
"As far as like the conversations that may or may not have been had when Beau was writing it at the time, or between everyone in the writers’ room, of, ‘Are we including this because of what we’re doing now and our plans for the future?’ That is unbeknownst to me."
He continued: "Those were different meetings that I didn’t need to be involved in, so I wasn’t there."
Castorena also addressed the relationship between X-Men '97 and the rest of Marvel Studios' storytelling. While the animated series operates in its own corner of the Marvel universe, he acknowledged there's still communication between creative teams.
"I can neither confirm nor deny if that was truly the plan, but there is always some level of synergy amongst the studios." He added: "We are definitely our own universe, and we get to act accordingly."
Kang was originally positioned as the driving force behind the MCU's Multiverse Saga after appearing in Loki Season 2 and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Following Majors' departure, Marvel shifted course, with Robert Downey Jr. set to take over as Doctor Doom, who now stands as the franchise's primary big bad.
Whether Rama-Tut's appearance is simply a fun callback or the beginning of something else remains to be seen, but Castorena's comments make it clear that fans shouldn't view the cameo as a sudden change in direction. It was simply part of the story the creative team had planned from the start.
The X-Men '97 Season 2 finale premieres on Disney+ on Wednesday, August 12. The animated series has already been renewed for a third season, with new episodes currently expected to arrive sometime in 2027.