At the beginning of the year, Jonathan Majors was one of the most sought-after stars in Hollywood. He played him in the Marvel blockbuster Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania next big villain of the superhero franchise, while he made his entry into the Rocky universe through Creed III. He was arrested in March.
After arrest in March: Jonathan Majors found guilty on two of four charges
Majors was accused of domestic violence and assault. The allegations came from Grace Jabbari, his girlfriend at the time. She accused Majors of that he hit her, including with the hand on the head. Majors was arrested. The trial against the American actor began in November.
The verdict is known almost a month later. As the Hollywood Reporter reports, a jury in New York has decided that Majors in guilty of two of four charges is. He now faces up to a year in prison. However, the punishment has not yet been determined. It is expected to be announced in February 2024.
Marvel Studios fires Jonathan Majors: The actor will not return as Kang in Avengers 5
A few hours after the announcement, Marvel Studios responded to the ruling and fired Majors, according to a report from Deadline. Majors was an important actor in the development of the franchise. He embodied that Villain Kang the Conquerorwho played a central role in several projects.
Disney
Jonathan Majors in Loki
Majors first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the end of Loki Season 1 and reprized the role two more times: in the aforementioned Ant-Man sequel and Loki Season 2. At least one more appearance was planned fifth Avengers filmwhich even had his character in the title.
As the Hollywood Reporter notes, the film will no longer be called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Instead, it is currently under the working title Avengers 5. Marvel is now faced with two options: Either the character will be recast or completely written out of all future projects. Both are possible.
According to Jonathan Major’s verdict: Marvel could delete or recast Kang from future MCU projects
Marvel has already made some moves in recent months that suggest future projects will be reworked. So Loki creator Michael Waldron was hired to create one new script for Avengers 5 to write while original director Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) moved on to another MCU film.
There are also a few new casts in the franchise, but so far never due to a crime. Edward Norton, who originally played the Hulk, had creative differences and Mark Ruffalo took over the role. Marvel has not commented on its next steps regarding Kang.
Aside from Marvel, there is another film with Majors, whose status is unclear. The body builder drama Magazine Dreams premiered at Sundance in January 2023. The studio Searchlight Pictures, which belongs to Disney just like Marvel, removed the film from its release calendar months ago.
The theatrical releases of the next Avengers films have not been postponed for the time being. According to the current plan, Avengers 5 will be released on April 29, 2026. Avengers 6 will follow on May 5, 2027.