Following a recent arrest in late March 2023, actor Jonathan Majors faces a rapidly approaching verdict for assault charges brought on by his ex-girlfriend.
After the first season of the Marvel Cinematic Universe show “Loki,” the actor looked to have things made for himself. It ended by introducing his character, Kang the Conqueror, to be the MCU’s next major villain, succeeding Josh Brolin’s masterful adaptation of Thanos.
Things changed for the worse, however, when the movie star was taken into custody on March 25 over accusations of assault and aggravated harassment against his now ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. The New York City Police Department confirmed that Jabbari went to the hospital with minor injuries to her neck and face.
After multiple reschedules from its original start day of Aug. 3, the now troubled actor waits for his looming trial date of Nov. 29 to hear his legal fate. Jeffery Marker, the director of the University of North Georgia School of Communication, Film, and Theatre, believes that while more evidence should come to light, Majors’s future looks bleak.
Shortly after the arrest, the “Loki” star’s legal team released several text messages from Jabbari after their altercation with one of the messages reading “I told them it was my fault for trying to grab your phone.”
While they were meant to portray Majors as innocent, domestic violence experts wonder if there was manipulation present.
Furthermore, the incident in New York City was the tip of the iceberg.
In April, more alleged abuse victims came out to speak against Majors for incidents spanning the past decade. The accusers described him as volatile and controlling, and one woman even detailed her time with the performer as “emotional torture.”
If Majors is found guilty of his assault charges from March, he could face up to a year in prison. In addition, the controversy has already brought jarring ramifications for his career.
As a result of the scandal, the “Creed III” star had his exclusive ad deal with the U.S. Army stripped away. In addition, he has been abandoned by his PR and management teams, removed from several films, and even had his upcoming film, “Magazine Dreams,” taken off Disney’s release schedule.
Regarding his role as Kang the Conqueror, Majors’s career with Marvel remains in the air. However, recent production changes for “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” suggest that things may change soon.
Joanna Robinson, co-operator for the House of R podcast, confirmed in a recent episode that “Ant-Man and the Wasp” writer Jeff Loveless was taken off production for the upcoming film, likely signifying a shift away from Majors and Kang for the MCU.
Marker stated that the only thing Marvel can do is rid themselves of the troubled star.
“The best any company can do in a scenario like this is control the damage. There is no ‘win,’ objectively speaking, only damage control.” – Jeffery Marker on how Marvel should handle the Jonathan Majors issue
How the studio explains Kang’s absence is still a mystery. Zach Liss, who has been a superhero enthusiast since he was a toddler, is not looking forward to finding out, believing the reason they churn out will be half-baked.
Whether Majors will walk away from the trial innocent or guilty is to be determined. As the start of his trial inches closer with each day, the only thing he can do now is wait.
