Jonathan Majors has been dropped by Marvel Studios and will no longer portray Kang the Conqueror going forward in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Wrap has confirmed.
It is not known at this time if the role of Kang the Conqueror will be recast, or if Marvel Studios will change plans for the MCU.
The decision comes shortly after Majors was found guilty of assault and harrassment in his New York domestic violence case. The “Creed III” actor was accused of physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend in March. Sentencing is scheduled for February.
By firing Majors, Disney and Marvel now face some big decisions about how to move forward.
He debuted as Kang in 2021 during “Loki” Season 1, and in 2023 appeared in both “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “Loki” Season 2. But Kang the conqueror was at the center of what Marvel is still officially calling “the Multiverse Saga,” the company’s ambitious post-“Endgame” storyline.
As announced in 2022, it was all planned to climax with “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” essentially giving Kang the place within the MCU than Josh Brolin’s Thanos held until “Endgame” — except even more prominently.
Scoring only 46% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” garnered scathingly poor reviews from critics. The film’s dismal rating places it among the most poorly received in the annals of Marvel Cinematic Universe history, almost equaling “Eternals’” franchise-worst 47% score.
Over nearly two weeks, the six-person jury – comprised of three men and three women – listened to emotional testimony, including from 30-year-old British national Grace Jabbari. She described being in a serious relationship with Majors on the night she saw a text from another woman on his phone. After Jabbari grabbed his phone, she testified that Majors hurt her finger and arm while forcefully taking back the phone, and struck her head in the process.
Majors’ defense team argued that Jabbari was actually the aggressor that night. They presented the jury with images showing Jabbari out partying with strangers right after the Chinatown altercation. The photos were of the professional dancer mingling with people she had just met on the street. Additionally, the jury listened to a recording of a 9-1-1 call placed by Majors the next morning. He had found Jabbari locked inside his Chelsea apartment and called 9-1-1 due to concerns for her safety.
The prosecution aimed to portray Majors as having a pattern of abuse and manipulation. When Jabbari took the stand last week, she testified about Majors’ escalating behavior in the months leading up to March 25. She described him as having increasing volatile outbursts and exhibiting controlling actions towards her during this time. Her testimony culminated in recounting the physical fight that broke out between them in the backseat of a Cadillac Escalade on the night of March 25.
More to come…
