Marvel Studios has made a major decision in light of Jonathan Majors’ recent legal trouble. The actor, who is known for his roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), was found guilty of harassment and assault charges in his trial against his ex-girlfriend. While Majors is yet to be sentenced, Marvel has wasted no time in cutting ties with him.
This news comes from Variety, which reports that Marvel’s decision to sever its relationship with Majors is the most significant professional consequence he has faced so far, following the legal proceedings. Prior to this, his talent agency also dropped him, and the U.S. Army withdrew its ad campaign featuring him. These events have significantly impacted Majors’ career.
Jonathan Majors first appeared in the MCU as He Who Remains in the finale of the Loki Season 1. He played a variant of Kang the Conqueror who established the Time Variance Authority. In Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, he portrayed a more traditional version of Kang. The mid-credits scene of Quantumania hinted at the existence of multiple versions of Kang. Majors also briefly reprised his role as He Who Remains in Loki Season 2 and played the character Victor Timely, a benevolent Kang variant.
Marvel Studios now faces a challenging situation. Majors was expected to have a significant role in the upcoming Marvel movie, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and possibly in Avengers: Secret Wars as well. The company now has two options: either recast Kang and continue with the original plan, or focus on a new villain to take center stage in The Multiverse Saga, much like Thanos did in The Infinity Saga.
If Marvel chooses to recast Kang, it would not be a problem, as demonstrated in Spider-Man: No Way Home, where different variants of characters were portrayed by different actors. However, this approach would require significant changes to the script. As of now, Michael Waldron, the writer of Loki, has taken over writing duties for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and is attached to Secret Wars.
CinemaBlend will keep you updated on how Marvel Studios plans to move forward with Kang the Conqueror following Jonathan Majors’ departure. In the meantime, you can enjoy streaming all the Marvel movies and TV shows on Disney+.
