Rising Hollywood star Jonathan Majors was found guilty ofnegligent assaultand harassment, prompting Marvel Studios to fire him as Kang, the current supervillain of the cinematic comic book universe.
On Monday, after a two-week trial, a Manhattan jury convicted the 34-year-old American actor, considered exceptionally talented, on one count of assault and two counts of harassment of his ex-girlfriend, a 30-year-old choreographer named Grace Jabari. The two met on the set of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, in which Majors played the main villain, Kang. According to Jabari, Majors hit her in the head last March after she tried to take his cell phone because she noticed he had received a text message from another woman. In his defense and also after the verdict, the actor claimed through his lawyer that he did not hit Jabari on purpose, explaining that she was the one who actually attacked him.
Jonathan Majors in court, photo: Reuters
Majors will be sentenced at a court hearing scheduled for Feb. 6. He could be sent to prison for up to one year in prison, or serve a suspended sentence. "Majors still has faith in the legal process and is determined to clear his name," the lawyer said, stressing that jurors "did not believe Jabari's story" because Majors was ultimately not convicted of a more serious count ofpremeditated assault. Presumably, the player will soon appeal the decision.
Still, even before the verdict was handed down and the appeal was filed, The Hollywood Reporter reported tonight that Marvel's decision to sever all ties with Majors has already been made. The actor is not expected to reprise his role as Kang, the malevolent entity that transcends time and dimensions, in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which is set to hit screens in 2026, or in any other future production by the studio. Majors has already portrayed Kang in the third film in the Ant-Man series, as well as in the two seasons of the series "Loki" on Disney Plus.
It is not yet known whether Marvel will choose to recast Kang's role with another actor, or perhaps bring in a completely different supervillain, as "Quantumania" disappointed at the box office and received terrible reviews. However, the latest legal development certainly doesn't give Marvel Studios, which already faces quite a few challenges, too much comfort.
Jonathan Majors in court, photo: Reuters
In addition to his role in the cinematic comic book universe, in recent years Majors has starred in the successful boxing sequel Creed 3 and the well-deserved war drama "Devotion" - which received excellent reviews but failed at the box office. Filming on another of the actor's films, a bodybuilding drama called "Magazine Dreams", has already been completed, but production currently has no release date.
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