Disney drops Marvel lead Jonathan Majors following assault verdict

Disney has dropped Jonathan Majors from his leading Marvel role as Kang the Conqueror after he was found guilty of reckless assault in the third degree and of harassment, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. The verdict comes after a two-week trial following Majors’ arrest last March after an altercation with his ex-partner Grace Jabbari.

Marvel had been setting up for Majors to be the next supervillain for the franchise, but now the company is changing course. It’s unclear if Disney plans to recast Kang or change its planned storylines more drastically. Majors had already appeared in both seasons of Loki and in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and was set to star in one of the next planned Avengers movies, subtitled The Kang Dynasty. However, THR says that Marvel may be looking to focus on a new villain instead and that The Kang Dynasty “is now being referred to as Avengers 5.”

After his arrest, Majors was released by his managers at Entertainment 360 and his publicity firm The Lede Company. Disney waited until the end of his trial to drop him. Disney didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

Majors was accused of assaulting Jabbari. Though he was guilty of the two previously mentioned charges, he was acquitted on charges of intentional assault in the third degree and aggravated harassment in the second degree, THR reports.

Majors’ sentencing will be February 6th, 2024.