Marvel sever ties with Jonathan Majors following guilty verdict
Marvel Studios is reportedly parting ways with actor Jonathan Majors, known for his portrayal of Kang the Conqueror, in the wake of his legal troubles. Majors, who recently faced a conviction for reckless assault in the third degree and harassment, will see his character recast or written out of the Avengers franchise.
From 2021 to 2023, Majors portrayed Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. He also appeared as Kang variants ‘He Who Remains’ and ‘Victor Timely’ in the Disney+ series Loki.
Marvel’s plans for the next Avengers films, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, were announced at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con. However, in light of Majors’ legal issues and the ongoing strikes, the comic giant has opted to delay the production of these Kang-centric movies by a year.
The fate of Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinematic Universe hangs in the balance. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the character could either undergo recasting or be written out of the franchise entirely.
In recent months running up to his abuse conviction, Majors was also dropped by his talent manager and publicist and lost several other movie roles, including an adaptation of the 2004 Walter Mosley novel The Man in My Basement and an Otis Redding biopic. Disney has also removed his upcoming movie, Magazine Dreams, from its release schedule.
On December 18th, Majors was convicted by a New York jury of reckless assault in the third degree and harassment related to an incident with his former partner, Grace Jabbari, in March 2023.
While Majors was found not guilty of intentional assault in the third degree and not guilty of aggravated harassment in the second degree, he could face up to one year in prison. The actor is expected to receive his sentence on February 6th, 2024.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.