Marvel Has A Perfect Heroic Counterpart To The Council Of Kangs

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will display the Council of Kangs' long-awaited battle with the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who may need a similar organization in order to defeat their latest nemeses. As the Multiverse Saga begins to pick up speed headed toward its two-part finale, the threat that Kang the Conqueror and his many variants pose to the fabric of the multiverse is becoming abundantly clear. While the combined intelligence, strength, and knowledge of Kang's endless variants is the biggest threat the MCU's heroes have ever faced, the franchise is already setting up a heroic counterpart to the Council of Kangs that may yet save the day.

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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's end credit scenes introduced the Council of Kangs, a gathering of various variants of Kang the Conqueror from multiple alternate realities. Among the members of this group were Immortus, Pharaoh Rama-Tut, and the Scarlet Centurion, all of whom were portrayed by Jonathan Majors. Concerned over the Avengers' recent rise to power, Immortus summoned every Kang variant from across the multiverse to the Council's otherworldly arena, signaling that a new dynasty was about to begin. As Phase 5 and Phase 6 build up to The Kang Dynasty, these variants and the Council of Kangs itself will certainly pose a massive threat to the heroes of Earth-616.

The Council Of Reeds Is The Best Way To Defeat Kangs' Many Variants

Reed Richards and many of his variants convene in a council

As the Council of Kangs wreaks havoc on the MCU, the only real way to combat this new threat is with the Interdimensional Council of Reeds. Much like the Council of Kangs, this group is made up of multiversal variants from multiple realities, except with a more heroic purpose. This benevolent council consists of different versions of the Fantastic Four's Reed Richards, also known as Mister Fantastic. The group convenes in order to share each variant's vast knowledge with the other universes and to tackle cosmic threats as a single, united body. In Marvel Comics, the group has even been able to neutralize the threat of the Infinity Gauntlet.

Although some heroes may be able to defeat solitary Kang variants, with Ant-Man potentially killing Kang the Conqueror in Quantumania, the combined might of the Council of Kangs is far too dangerous for even the Avengers to overcome. Multiversal villains such as these can only be defeated via multiversal means. As such, only Reed Richards has the intelligence, resourcefulness, and skill necessary in every universe that could bring an end to the multiverse's persistent Kang problem. Lacking the same selfishness and mistrust that plague Kang's variants, the Council of Reeds is the best chance at defeating the Council of Kangs in the Multiverse Saga.

The Council Of Reeds Can Feature Familiar Mr. Fantastic Variants

ioan grufford john krasinski and miles teller as fantastic four's reed richards variants

One of the most exciting prospects of the Council of Reeds making its debut in the MCU is the possibility that it will include familiar Reed Richards variants in its ranks. While the MCU's Fantastic Four has yet to debut, it is quite likely that Earth-616's Reed Richards variant will become a member of the Council of Reeds. This version of Mister Fantastic will have a chance to make an impression in 2025's Fantastic Four movie and possibly even in small roles in other Phase 6 films leading up to The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, the two most likely projects to include the Interdimensional Council of Reeds.

Earth-616's Reed Richards won't be the only familiar face among the MCU's Council of Reeds. Other incarnations of the character can certainly make an appearance therein as well. John Krasinskis' Reed Richards can still return, for example, despite reports to the contrary. Even if Krasinski doesn't end up portraying the MCU's Reed Richards, he could still return as a resurrected version of his Earth-838 character or simply as another variant from a different universe altogether. His presence in the Council of Reeds would certainly be a welcome one, especially after his time as the character was cut tragically short during the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

The Interdimensional Council of Reeds also offers an opportunity for Marvel Studios to revisit some non-MCU incarnations of the character. As the culmination of the Multiverse Saga, Secret Wars will feature other Marvel franchises that exist outside of Earth-616, potentially including the infamous 20th Century Fox renditions of the Fantastic Four. This would allow for Miles Teller and Ioan Gruffud to return as their respective versions of Reed Richards, finally giving them the chance to prove their merit after their respective franchises each failed them. Even Alex Hyde-White, the Mister Fantastic of 1994's unreleased Fantastic Four film, stands a chance of returning for a long-awaited cameo of his own.

As if the prospect of every previous Mister Fantastic actor returning wasn't exciting enough, the Council of Reeds also allows the MCU to acknowledge the many Fantastic Four fan casts that will never come to fruition. Reed Richards alone has countless actors lined up to portray him, including major names like Glenn Howerton, Penn Badgley, Henry Cavill, Dev Patel, and more, leaving plenty of room for one or all of them to make a cameo in a Council of Reeds scene in Secret Wars. With the multiverse fracturing during Phases 5 and 6 of the MCU, the possibilities for multiple Reed Richards variants appearing therein are truly endless.

How Reed Richards And His Variants Can Defeat The Council Of Kangs

council of kangs characters rama tut immortus victor timely and kang the conqueror

The Council of Reeds remains the best chance of defeating Kang the Conqueror and his variants, who are notoriously difficult to kill. However, Kang the Conqueror's Quantum Realm exile, as seen in Quantumania, may provide an avenue for defeating the Council of Kangs. As the smartest man alive, Reed Richards would certainly look to history to see what has worked against his new opponents in the past. One of the most dangerous Kang variants was powerless to escape his exile in the Quantum Realm, suggesting that the others would be similarly helpless if subjected to a similar fate. The Council of Reeds may therefore elect to employ this same strategy.

It is also important to note Reed Richards' connection to Kang the Conqueror, which is shared by no other Marvel hero. In Marvel Comics, Kang is actually Nathaniel Richards, a scientist from the 31st century and the direct descendant of Reed Richards' father, who also happens to be named Nathaniel. Because of their connection to Kang, the Council of Reeds may be able to deduce the original Nathaniel Richards variant's location in the timestream and prune his existence before he ever discovered the ability to traverse the multiverse. This may be the only way to defeat an enemy as ever-present in the timeline as the Council of Kangs.

When The Council Of Reeds Can Appear In The MCU

Split Image: Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in Quantumania; John Krasinski as Reed Richards in Multiverse of Madness

The Council of Reeds seems inevitable in the MCU, but the timing of its debut remains a mystery. It seems unlikely that the group will appear as early as The Fantastic Four, despite Kang's potential appearance therein. The MCU is more likely to spend the Phase 6 film establishing its primary version of the Fantastic Four than to bog the story down with countless variants. As such, the Council of Reeds will appear no earlier than 2025 but will more likely have to wait until the end of Phase 6 to make its very first live-action appearance in the MCU.

It is abundantly more likely that the MCU will hold off on introducing the Council of Reeds until a major event film like The Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars. While the former initially seemed quite likely, screenwriter Jeff Loveness's recent comments suggest that the Fantastic Four may not appear in the fifth Avengers film at all. As such, Secret Wars may add to its massive cast in order to include the Council of Reeds as the ultimate counterpart to Kang the Conqueror and his malevolent variants. Thereby, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will surely portray the absolute carnage caused by the Council of Kangs in anticipation of Secret Wars' hidden weapon.

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