Jonathan Majors: What will happen to Marvel star’s career after assault conviction?
Majors plays Kang the Conqueror, the next major villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
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Your support makes all the difference.The Independent now understands that Marvel will not move forward with Jonathan Majors after he was found guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend Grace Jabbari on Monday (18 December).
Following a 10-day trial, a New York City jury found the Marvel star, 34, guilty of one count of third-degree assault and one count of harassment, but acquitted him of another count of assault and one aggravated harassment count.
Majors was arrested in March in New York after Jabbari accused him of slapping her and throwing her into the car after she exited it, twisting her arm and grabbing and injuring her hand. Majors has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty on all four charges.
With the verdict now delivered, Majors faces sentencing on 6 February and could be handed a jail sentence of one year, according to reports.
Many people are now wondering what this means for the star’s acting career, which has been on hold since his arrest earlier this year.
Majors was on a stratospheric trajectory before the trial, recently earning rave reviews for his turn as Marvel’s major new villain Kang following his debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
He’d also received praise for his roles in the films Creed III, Da 5 Bloods and The Harder They Fall.
However, in September, Marvel executives, including studio chief Kevin Feige, reportedly gathered in Palm Springs to discuss “backup plans, including pivoting to another comic book adversary, like Dr Doom”.
“The trial has illuminated a fair amount of stuff regardless of the verdict,” one studio executive told CNN in a report published Monday. “What came out is problematic for him, particularly for a brand like Marvel or Disney – at least in the near term.”
CNN also spoke to an anonymous source at WME – a major Hollywood talent agency that represents Majors – about the actor’s future. “If Marvel drops him, that would be a big indicator of his future,” the source said. “If he’s found guilty… there’s nothing to represent.”
The Independent has contacted Marvel and WME for comment.
After news of the allegations against him broke, the actor was dropped by his management team, while the US Army pulled a number of advertisements featuring the actor from circulation.
Walt Disney Studios removed Magazine Dreams, a forthcoming drama starring Majors, from its release calendar in October. Elijah Bynum’s film about an aspiring bodybuilder (Majors) who struggles to find human connection was originally set to premiere on 8 December.
He was also set to star and executive produce an upcoming adaptation of the Walter Mosley novel, The Man in My Basement – a role he has since been cut from, per Deadline.