On Monday, it was announced that Marvel’s latest Big Bad for the next few films in the franchise would be removed from his role. In several Marvel films, Jonathan Majors was playing He Who Remains, or Kang the Conqueror, acting as the next opponent to the new Avengers team.
Why was Majors removed from his Marvel role? What will Marvel do from here? Let’s get into it.
Marvel Studios Fires Jonathan Majors From His Leading Role
According to reports from Deadline, Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Co. announced that they would be dropping Majors from all future projects after the actor’s conviction for assault and harassment on Monday.
Before his March arrest, Majors was positioned to be the key figure that connected all of the new Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Now, the Disney-owned studio will have to do a recast as they prepare a new star to take over this prominent role.
Who Is Jonathan Majors?
Jonathan Majors was a lifelong army brat who spent his childhood moving across the country to various military bases with his family. While he credits theaters for pulling him out of his rough adolescence, he quickly found his way into the film industry after studying theater at the University of North Carolina and Yale.
Majors rose to critical acclaim for A24’s “Last Black Man in San Francisco,” and his promising career as the next Hollywood leading man was quickly on the rise.
What Did Jonathan Majors Do?
On March 25, Majors called 911 and reported that his ex-partner, Grace Jabbari, was unconscious in their apartment. Police then arrested Majors after finding apparent injuries on Jabbari, which included a laceration behind her ear and a bruised and fractured finger.
Majors was then charged by the state of New York for his actions against Jabbari. This made the case a criminal trial rather than a civil one, meaning that the burden of proof was higher for the jury.
Jonathan Majors’ Lawyers Tried to Discredit Grace Jabbari
On March 30, Majors’ lawyer attempted to tarnish Jabbari’s credibility by releasing text messages allegedly sent to Majors. In the text message, Jabbari appears to accept all the blame for the incident, writing, “I told them it was my fault for trying to grab your phone. I only just got out of [the] hospital.”
However, the texts are contradictory and pleading, and don’t put Majors in the best light. An anonymous source told Variety that the text messages “basically look like the text messages of a textbook abused woman.”
Grace Jabbari Testified Against Jonathan Majors
Jabbari testified that the incident occurred in a private car when she saw a text on Majors’ phone that read: “Oh how I wish to be kissing you.” Jabbari said she tried to take the phone from Majors, then accused the actor of hitting her in the head with his open hand, twisting her arm behind her back, and squeezing her middle finger until it fractured.
Majors’ lawyers alleged that Jabbari was trying to spread a “fantasy” to take down that actor after she supposedly fell into a jealous rage after reading a text message. His lawyers said that the actor was only trying to get his phone back and get away safely.
Jonathan Majors Asked Grace Jabbari Not to Seek Treatment for Earlier Injuries
Majors and Jabbari met on the set of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” two years ago. Their relationship has reportedly been rocky from the beginning. Prosecutors shared text messages in the court that showed the actor begging Jabbari not to seek hospital treatment for an earlier head injury.
Majors wrote that her going to seek treatment for an injury that he allegedly caused “could lead to an investigation even if you do lie and they suspect something.”
Grace Jabbari Reveals Jonathan Majors’ True Colors
Despite recordings of Major declaring himself a “great man” while simultaneously questioning if Jabbari could meet the high standards set by the partners of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama (a move his attorneys said was part of a plot to “destroy” his career), Jabbari stated in her four-day testimony that was afraid “physically quite a lot.”
Jabbari alleged that Majors was controlling and prone to fits of explosive rage. After watching security footage of him pushing her back into the car after the back seat confrontation, Jabbari broke down in tears.
Is Jonathan Majors Going to Prison?
Jonathan Majors was found guilty of reckless assault in the third degree and guilty of harassment. Majors’ sentencing is set for Feb. 6, with up to a year in prison, but probation or other non-jail sentences are also possible. Majors was found not guilty of intentional assault in the third degree and not guilty of aggravated harassment in the second degree.
Majors’ lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, said in a statement that he “still has faith in the process and looks forward to fully clearing his name.”
Why Are People Shocked About These Allegations and Verdict?
The charges came as a shock to almost everyone. Majors’ public persona during his rise through Hollywood showed a soft-spoken man who had a sensitive masculinity. He became a prominent voice in indie films, with his recent film, “Magazine Dream,” getting picked up by Searchlight Pictures after its Sundance premiere.
Yet the courtroom battle for public opinion seemed to fail as more people discovered Majors for his abusive, domestic violence, and long history of allegedly controlling and aggressive behavior came to light.
What Will Marvel Do Now That Jonathan Majors Is Gone?
Marvel is likely to take one of two paths. The company could recast the part to a new actor, though it is unclear how many actors would want a role in a franchise that is suffering at the box office and was once attached to an actor who was publicly fired.
Marvel could also pivot its cinematic story arch, which sources close to the studio report is a course that the Disney-owned studio is interested in.
Will Kang Be Removed from the MCU Storyline?
“Avengers: Kang Dynasty” quickly got a new name after it was announced the Majors was fired. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Marvel Studios hired “Loki” creator Michael Waldron to write a new script for the film, which has been renamed “Avengers 5.”
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” creator Destin Daniel Cretton recently left “Avengers 5” to focus on other MCU projects, including an unnamed “Shang-Chi” film.
