The actor was at the height of his career playing Kang the Conqueror, the new supervillain of the Marvel franchise. However, Disney just fired Jonathan Majors after the court found him guilty of reckless assault and third-degree harassment. Reports from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety indicate that the decision comes after a two-week trial. This trial stemmed from Majors’ arrest in March following an altercation with his former partner, Grace Jabbari.
Marvel had positioned Majors as a key figure for the franchise’s future, particularly in his role as a supervillain. However, in light of the recent events, the company is now reevaluating its plans. It remains uncertain whether Disney intends to recast the character of Kang or make more substantial alterations to the planned storylines. Majors had already made appearances in both seasons of Loki and in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. He was also slated to have a prominent role in the next Avengers movie, The Kang Dynasty. Despite that, reports from THR suggest that Marvel may be exploring the introduction of a new villain, and are now talking about The Kang Dynasty as Avengers 5.”
The Downfall Started After the Incident, Disney Fired Jonathan Majors
After his arrest, Jonathan Majors was released by his management at Entertainment 360 and his publicity firm, The Lede Company. Disney chose to wait until the conclusion of his trial before severing ties with the actor. As of now, Disney has not responded to requests for comments on the matter.
Majors faced accusations of assaulting Grace Jabbari. Although the court found him guilty of reckless assault and third-degree harassment, The Hollywood Reporter says the court acquitted him of charges of third-degree assault and second-degree aggravated harassment.
Following the verdict, actor Jonathan Majors’ attorney, Priya Chaudhry, released a statement about Majors. “looks forward to fully clearing his name,” implying he may appeal. She continued, “Mr. Majors is grateful to God, his family, his friends, and his fans for their love and support during these harrowing eight months.”
After the verdict, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg offered his perspective:
“At the Manhattan D.A.’s Office, we are committed to centering survivors in all of our work. The evidence presented throughout this trial illustrated a cycle of psychological and emotional abuse, and escalating patterns of coercion far too common across the many intimate partner violence cases we see each and every day. Today, a jury determined that pattern of abuse and coercion culminated with Mr. Majors assaulting and harassing his girlfriend. We thank the jury for its service and the survivor for bravely telling her story despite having to relive her trauma on the stand.”
The sentencing for Majors will be on February 6th, 2024.