On December 18, 2023, Marvel shocked its fans worldwide when it dropped Jonathan Majors entirely from its roster. This news was completely unexpected given the importance of Kang (played by Majors) in the current phase of the MCU.
But the reason behind Marvel’s drastic decision was serious enough to justify this move.
Why Was Jonathan Majors Fired From The MCU?
Marvel fired Jonathan Majors because he was convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, as reported by IndieWire. The studio took this step immediately after a New York jury found the Emmy-nominated actor guilty of domestic harassment and assault against his ex, Grace Jabbari.
According to the accusations against Majors, he allegedly fought with Jabbari in a taxi and physically injured her. The now-ex-Marvel actor is scheduled to face the court in February 2024 and could go to jail for up to a year.
It’s no surprise then that Marvel officially dropped Jonathan Majors from all future movies in the MCU. The studio stood a risk of facing major public backlash if they did not take this decision. Considering the wide demographic Marvel films cater to, the company definitely needed to set an example and stand by its values, in my opinion. We should have seen this coming ever since Majors’ arrest in March following the alleged assault.
Jonathan Majors was also dropped by his PR and management teams after the verdict. I anticipate other studios who currently have projects with Majors will follow suit.
Kang, played by Jonathan, was supposed to be the main supervillain in upcoming Marvel movies, leading up to the next big ensemble event, Avenger: The Kang Dynasty. With Majors completely out of the picture, the studio will have to make major changes in its MCU roadmap.
A recast, in my opinion, is out of the picture considering the face of Majors as Kang has been etched in our memories. I expect MCU screenwriters to pull their hair out trying to explain Kang’s sudden absence. Until Marvel can find a definite way out of all the possible plot holes, the MCU’s future stands blurred at the moment.
