It’s the kind of problem that no major studio wants to deal with. An actor who is being positioned to be a significant player in your cinematic universe has found himself in so much hot water that it’s a huge PR nightmare waiting to happen. In the case of Marvel Studios, the actor in question isJonathan Majors, a performer who was on a massive come-up before it came crashing down in almost record time.
Majors was playing Kang the Conqueror, theMCU’s next big bad who already appeared in the first season ofLokiand the feature filmAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniabefore being arrested following a March incident with his then-girlfriend Grace Jabbari. All of this came to a head this week when, after a two-week trial, Majors was found guilty of reckless assault in the third degree and guilty of harassment.
The actor is set to be sentenced in February and could spend up to a year in jail. As soon as the verdict came down, it was announced that Marvel had dropped Majors from future projects. Now, there is a lot of speculation about which direction they could take moving forward in what is sure to be a headache of a situation.
Before Majors was arrested in March, the actor’s star power couldn’t have ascended faster. Within weeks of each other, he had theAnt-Mansequel opening at number one at the box office, and thenCreed IIIfollowed suit. Even though the reviews forQuantumaniawere more negative than other Marvel projects, Majors garnered solid reviews for his portrayal of Kang, and many were excited about what was to come for his place in the MCU.
It was already known that he would be appearing in Season Two ofLoki, whileAvengers: The Kang Dynastywas already announced with that film solidifying the character, who was on his way to being the next threat to some of Marvel’s greatest heroes. With the guilty verdict and Majors' subsequent firing, these plans are in flux.The Kang Dynastyis currently set for release on June 19, 2025, so there is some time to work out a new direction, but given the scope of these films, a decision needs to be made soon if Marvel doesn’t want to see any significant delays for the project or other projects leading up to this particular outing.
With The Kang Dynasty Still in the Script Phase, There Is Time For a Potential Recast
The Kang Dynastyis still in the script phase, withMichael Waldron set to write the filmafter Jeff Loveness was seemingly let go. The movie doesn’t currently have a director attached after it was announced that filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton would no longer be helming the project to focus on his other Marvel outings.
The relatively good news about this reset of sorts and Waldron stepping in to work on a new concept is that he’s already poised to make the necessary changes if Marvel requests them. In one scenario, he may not have to make a significant change if the studio decides to recast the role.
It’s not the first time that Marvel has recast with Don Cheadle replacing Terence Howard as James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine following a pay dispute leading intoIron Man 2. Another major recast, this time with a lead performer, took place afterMark Ruffalo replaced Edward Norton as The Hulk/Bruce Banner after Norton and Marvel boss Kevin Feige reportedly had artistic differences when the actor was filmingThe Incredible Hulk.
It’s a position that Marvel has been in before and could be a relatively easy move. Still, given the negativity surrounding Majors following his legal woes, Marvel may want topivot away from Kangas a whole because of the baggage attached that is virtually out of their control.
Jonathan Majors Books First Interview Since Being Fired by Disney & Marvel Following Guilty Verdict
Jonathan Majors has had his first interview since being found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment.
The alternative that seems to be gaining the most steam with fans online is that Marvel could scrap Kang entirely as a villain and turn their focus to someone new. This is where the hiring of Waldron as a writer indicates that the studio could also be eyeing this as a strong possibility. Waldron was already set to writeAvengers: Secret Wars, the next majorAvengersfilm that would followThe Kang Dynasty. In the comic book arc, one of the major villains ofSecret Warsis Doctor Doom, a character likely more well-known than Kang by casual viewers and a villain associated with other characters headed to the MCU: The Fantastic Four.
According to recent reports,The Kang Dynastyhas reverted toAvengers 5, which could point to the fact that Marvel has had discussions about pivoting in another direction just in case Majors' verdict would mean they would have to let him go. Maybe they’re havingAvengers 5connect even more intoSecret Wars,or the film may now turn into a two-parter. Should that be the case, it would make total sense, asSecret Warsis a 12-issue comic book crossover that would benefit from more than one movie to tell its story properly.
Kang Being a Variant Could Make It Easy to Scrap the Character
Forgetting Kang altogether would have to play out in some fashion on screen. It would be ridiculous to pretend that the audience wasn’t expecting Kang to cause significant trouble in the projects ahead. Some help with that matter can be found in the season finale ofLoki,whichput an end to Kang’s plans. Season One ends with Loki’s variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) murdering He Who Remains (Majors), even though Season Two was seemingly building toward the character undoing that decision to save the multiverse, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) protects the timeline without having to bring back a villain that would rule the multiverse as a fascist dictator.
Loki Producer Says Jonathan Majors' Arrest had No Impact on Latest MCU Appearance
Loki producer Kevin Wright addressed the position of Jonathan Majors within the Marvel franchise, and how Loki’s season 2 plans never changed.
If Marvel so desires, He Who Remains would remain dead, especially since in some of the episode’s final scenes, Time Variance Authority agents speak of collecting all the Kang variants as if they’re more of a minor inconvenience rather than a potential danger to the multiverse. Would that conclusion feel cheap, given that Kang was being established as a force to be reckoned with? It’s possible, but the move would make sense in terms of storytelling, and fans would likely accept this direction as a necessary and logical step.
To soften the blow and maybe add a bit of humor to their situation, Marvel could useDeadpool 3, theonly MCU movie release in 2024, to get rid of all the Kang variants. This would all depend on whether there is any time in the shooting schedule to address this sinceDeadpool 3was already sidelined by the SAG strike, which resulted in the film’s release date being pushed back.
There is already a fun meta approach that theDeadpoolfilms take, so commenting on the drama and eliminating it could be a fun way to address everything and then put it to bed. Given the seriousness of the charges against Majors, humor could be viewed as an inappropriate way to go about this, but it’s just another option that Marvel could take.
The good news in an impossible situation for Marvel is that they have had months to think of different contingency plans. The studio wasn’t waiting patiently to hear of Majors' fate without a plan A, B, or C. While it may be a nuisance to figure out a new plan, it also gives Marvel a chance to regroup and refocus so that they come up with a decision or a new take that narratively makes sense. The studio has seen its share of criticalproblems in its Multiverse Saga, but maybe this last issue with Majors could be a sign that a door is closing on those problems, and they’re ready to return better than ever.
The next film in the MCU,Deadpool 3, is set to hit the big screen on August 15, 2025.
