Jonathan Majors, the actor behind Kang in the MCU, convicted of harassment and assault

Update: Marvel Studios has dropped Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinemativ Universe (via IGN, Deadline) . So far, it remains unclear if Marvel will recast the character.

The original story, below.

Actor Jonathan Majors, known for his roles as Kang the Conqueror in the MCU and Damian “Dame” Anderson in Creed III, has been found guilty of reckless assault in third degree and harassment. The plaintiff was originally charged with four charges of assault, aggravated harassment and harassment.

The verdict came after four hours of deliberation by a six-member jury in a trial that began after some dealys in December 4 following allegations by the actor’s ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. The actor was initially arrested in March this year when he allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend. Major faces a one-year prison sentence, which will begin on February 6, 2024. Meanwhile, Majors’ defense attorney Priya Chaudhry said that he “still has faith in the process and looks forward to fully clearing his name.”

What are the charges against Majors?

The actor was arrested last March 25 after police responded to a call he made claiming the girl he was with needed medical attention. However, he was arrested and released on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment of the girl who was with him at the time. At the time, the first reportes of the victim claimed head and neck injuries according to the police report, something that contradicts the prosecutor’s report which exchanges the neck for damage to an arm. Meanwhile, the actor’s lawyer claimed to have presented evidence that the victim is lying, at least about where she was at the time of the attack.

What does the arrest of Jonathan Majors mean for the MCU?

It is to be expected that the immediate future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will feel threatened by this verdict. Jonathan Majors made his debut as He Who Remains in the first season of Loki and was set to become the new threat of this Cinematic Universe as the great villain of Phase 5, Kang the Conqueror in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).

According to Variety, at the time of writing, Majors is still attached to the role of Kang the Conqueror in the MCU, but it also notes that the actor has already been dropped by his PR team, and will no longer participate in the film The Man in My Basement. The sentence will keep Majors out of the spotlight for 1 year, although there is a possibility that he will be sentenced to probation.

Even so, and considering the way Hollywood distances itself from certain people in the face of accusations and crimes, it will be normal if Disney tries to distance itself from the actor. This opens up some possibilities that Kang’s position could open up for a new actor, given that the company has already done this with other MCU characters, as well as the nature of the character in the comics. On the other hand, some rumors suggest that since the actor started with these legal problems, he could be replaced by another of the great villains of Marvel Comics.