Yesterday, rumors began circulating that despite Jonathan Majors’ recent arrest on charges of assault, Marvel Studios has yet to seriously consider dropping him from his role as Kang the Conqueror in upcoming MCU projects. However, there have been some new developments that might force Marvel executives to finally have that conversation. Variety reports that other accusers have now come forward with similar claims of abuse against Majors. All of the alleged victims are now cooperating with the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
Majors was arrested on March 25 in Manhattan after a woman — believed to be his girlfriend — claimed that he assaulted her, resulting in “minor injuries to her head and neck.” He was released without bail later that day following his arraignment. Majors’ lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, subsequently issued a statement promising to share evidence that would clear her client of all charges, including written statements from Majors’ accuser that recanted her original allegations.
Days later, on March 30, Chaudhry’s husband, Andrew Bourke — who is serving as Majors’ crisis publicist — released several text messages reportedly sent by Majors’ first accuser to the actor himself. Although the exchange has not been independently verified, the messages express remorse for Majors’ predicament, claiming it was “not an attack” and suggesting it was “[her] fault” for “trying to grab [his] phone.” A number of individuals, including domestic abuse experts, have cast doubt on whether these will help Majors’ case. One of Variety’s sources who worked with Majors on an upcoming project even remarked, “It read like a bad Lifetime movie. They basically look like the text messages of a textbook abused woman.”
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The D.A.’s office and representatives for Majors declined to comment on the latest wave of accusers. However, Chaudhry released yet another statement shortly after the news broke:
“Jonathan Majors is innocent and has not abused anyone,” said Chaudhry. “We have provided irrefutable evidence to the District Attorney that the charges are false. We are confident that he will be fully exonerated.”
Variety’s report also indicates that the alleged victim in the New York incident worked on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in some capacity. That film notably marked Majors’ first proper appearance as Kang, who is supposed to menace a new team of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes when Avengers: The Kang Dynasty bows in 2025.
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Before that, Majors will return to the MCU later this year as another one of Kang’s variants in Loki season 2 on Disney+. The Kang Dynasty doesn’t start production until next spring, which gives Disney enough time to make a decision about the actor’s fate. But it remains to be seen if he filmed cameos for projects on the immediate horizon, including Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Marvels.
Majors is scheduled to appear in court on May 8. Aside from being dropped by his management and PR firm earlier this week, Majors was likewise removed from an upcoming film adaptation of The Man in My Basement, based on the Walter Mosley novel of the same name, as well as an Otis Redding biopic that would have starred him as the legendary singer. The MLB’s Texas Rangers also killed plans for an ad campaign featuring Majors that was set to launch this Friday. Regardless, Majors continues to be represented by WME.
What do you think about the latest developments surrounding Majors? You can share your thoughts on the actor’s situation in the comment section below.
