Marvel Studios fires Jonathan Majors for assault

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Just hours after Jonathan Majors was found guilty of assault and harassment, IGN has learned that Marvel will not be moving forward with the Kang actor. Majors faces up to a year in prison after a jury on Monday found him guilty on one count of assault and one count of harassment, both misdemeanors.

It's currently unclear if Marvel will recast Kang, or scrap the character altogether. Variety previously reported that the studio was considering a pivot to Doctor Doom instead. In the meantime, the approach to the upcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, in which Majors would've obviously played a crucial role, remains in flux. Loki creator Michael Waldron was recently tapped to take over writing duties from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania scribe Jeff Loveness.

Things changed, however, after Majors was arrested on March 25 on charges of strangulation, assault, and harassment. After several delays, a trial began on December 4, during which his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari testified that he was abusive throughout their relationship, but focused on that March 25 incident. Jabbari said she took his phone after seeing a text from another woman, and Majors twisted her hands and arm in trying to pry it from her in the backseat of an SUV, and struck a blow to her head.

Video evidence revealed to the six-person jury also showed Majors and Jabbari leaving the vehicle, with Majors shoving her back into it.

While the jury found Majors guilty of the two counts of assault and harassment, they also acquitted him on two other counts: intentional assault in the third degree and aggravated assault in the second degree. Majors pleaded not guilty to all counts, and his legal team has long argued that Jabbari was the aggressor. In a statement obtained by IGN on Monday, his defense attorney Priya Chaudhry said that he "still has faith in the process and looks forward to fully clearing his name."

While Marvel cutting ties with Majors following the verdict isn't a huge shock (Disney had already removed the Majors-starring Magazine Dreams from its release schedule), it is confirmation of what will inevitably be a big shift for the studio's future plans. Marvel does, however, have some time to figure things out; the only MCU film set to release next year is Deadpool 3, followed by Captain America: Brave New World on February 14, 2025.

Is this the end of the career of a successful actor in Hollywood?