Hawkeye director Rhys Thomas may find them terrifying, but fan theories are part and parcel of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an interconnected series of blockbuster superhero movies and TV shows that all stand apart from each other in their own way, but still boast at least a couple of threads of connective tissue.
Now that Loki‘s Season 1 finale set the stage for all-out multiversal war after Sophia Di Martino’s Sylvie killed He Who Remains, which in turn allows Jonathan Majors to show up all across Phase Four as multiple variants of Kang the Conqueror, the sh*t has really hit the fan.
One popular fan theory is that Kang’s takeover was set in motion by Spider-Man: Homecoming and then teased by a Loki Easter Egg, with variant Mr. Gryphon’s Qeng Enterprises purchasing Avengers Tower from Tony Stark. While that hasn’t been confirmed, another viral theory puts forward that the MCU’s latest big bad is behind the events of next month’s No Way Home.
It would make sense given that Spider-Man: No Way Home is directly followed by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with both projects revolving around alternate realities and splintered timelines. Just because we can’t see him, that doesn’t mean Kang isn’t the one pulling the strings behind the scenes.