Marvel has a serious conundrum on its hands as it tries to work out what do with Jonathan Majors ahead of his trial for assault.
The Loki actor will face a Manhattan court over charges he allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, in a March incident in New York City. His lawyers have denied all charges against him.
Majors has been slated to become the Marvel Cinematic Universe's overarching new villain, Kang the Conqueror, and already appeared in the first series of Disney+ series Loki and the film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
He was also set to appear as the supervillain in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty in 2025 and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2026.
The actor experienced a meteoric rise in Hollywood following a lauded performance in HBO's cult sci-fi hit, Lovecraft Country, and was expected to become an A-list leading man in no time.
"The news was shocking and disappointing given the rise of Jonathan Majors. In a short amount of time, he's become Hollywood's new darling," film critic and Marvel mega-fan Emmanuel "E-man" Noisette told Newsweek in March.
Majors was dropped by his publicists, the Lede Company, and management—Entertainment 360—after his arrest, among having other opportunities taken from him.
CAA also reportedly dropped Majors before his arrest for "brutal conduct" towards its staff, according to Variety.
But Marvel, to the surprise of many, still included the actor in its promotional material for Season 2 of Loki, which premiered last month.
Despite appearing in Loki's key art and its trailer, Marvel and its parent company Disney seem to be distancing themselves from their star ahead of his trial.
Newsweek contacted Majors' lawyers, Marvel and Disney by email for comment.
Disney removed the previously much-hyped Searchlight film Magazine Dreams, starring Majors, from its release schedule.
Expected to be fodder for awards season off the back of Majors' performance, the film followed an aspiring bodybuilder prone to bouts of uncontrollable rage. One scene even featured the bodybuilder on a date with a woman who escapes the restaurant because she is uncomfortable with his behavior, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Following his March arrest, other alleged victims also began working with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and it was revealed through a court filing that Majors was allegedly involved in an incident with Jabbari in London while filming Loki's second season. The alleged incident led to his ex-girlfriend seeking medical attention.
The pair met while filming Ant-Man where Jabbari worked as a movement coach and muddies the water further for Marvel from a HR perspective should Majors be convicted. It may also consider recasting Majors whatever the outcome of the trial, especially after Ant-Man's disappointing box office performance which was meant to herald the beginning of the Kang-led story arc.
"It gave people pause given that Quantumania didn't exactly land," a source told Variety.
Marvel has previously recast a number of roles in MCU, including replacing Terrence Howard with Don Cheadle in Iron Man 2, William Hurt with Harrison Ford after his death, and most infamously, recasting the Hulk character when it swapped out Edward Norton in favor of Mark Ruffalo.
Majors' attorneys are trying to seal some court documents ahead of his trial on November 29 and previously told Newsweek he was "provably the victim here," in his altercations with Jabbari.
He will face trial on two counts of assault in the third degree, aggravated harassment, and attempted assault. If found guilty, he could face up to 12 months in jail.
Prosecutors at the time of his arrest claimed Majors slapped the 30-year-old in a cab, "causing substantial pain and a laceration behind her ear," and also put his hands on her neck, "causing bruising and substantial pain." New York City Police reported Jabbari had a laceration and fractured finger when they arrived to the actor's Chelsea apartment after receiving a 911 call.
"To set the record straight: As confirmed by one of the woman's own written statements disavowing her allegations, it is Mr. Majors who called 9-1-1 due to concern for her mental health," lawyer Priya Chaudhry told Newsweek.
The NYPD had issued an "incident card" for Jabbari after she was accused of assaulting the actor in Chinatown earlier in the evening. She presented herself to the 10th precinct on October 25 and was promptly arrested, but District Attorney Alvin Bragg decided not to pursue the case.
"The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has officially declined to prosecute the case against Grace Jabbari because it lacks prosecutorial merit," a spokesperson for Bragg told media the following day. "The matter is now closed and sealed."
About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more
