Jonathan Majors: What now for the Marvel universe and his career?
The source of the image is Getty Images.
Jonathan Majors appeared in his first Marvel movie on the big screen in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
The blog post was written by Ian Youngs and Guy Lambert.
Jonathan Majors quickly became a prominent figure in Hollywood, with a significant part in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, his career has hit rock bottom after being found guilty of attacking his girlfriend, raising concerns about Marvel's future plans.
Majors had a significant role to play in Marvel's upcoming movies, which are perceived as pivotal in reviving the studio's profits. His appearance in these films would have solidified his reputation among the top actors in Hollywood.
Many people acclaimed his debut as the evil character Kang the Conqueror in the movie Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. This movie had a mix of critiques and received moderate box office earnings during its release in February.
According to the Observer, Jonathan Majors' magnetic performance saved Marvel's latest production, which was confusing and lacked coherence.
The Hollywood Reporter said that you feel anxious whenever he appears on the screen. Time Out stated that there will be many more performances by Majors in future Marvel movies, and he is the only thing that will make the storyline interesting.
Majors has recently been removed from two upcoming Avengers films due to being convicted of two instances of assault and harassment regarding his argument with his previous partner, Grace Jabbari, in New York during March. Although, he was cleared of two additional accusations.
Majors had a leading role in the sequel Creed III, a spin-off of the popular Rocky franchise that came out earlier this year.
Majors had been experiencing a prosperous career ever since he gained recognition for his performance in the highly acclaimed 2019 drama, The Last Black Man in San Francisco. He continued his success by landing a leading role in the Netflix western film, The Harder They Fall.
He made an appearance in the war drama movie, Da 5 Bloods, directed by Spike Lee. Additionally, he got a nomination for an Emmy award for his role in HBO's Lovecraft Country. He was also seen playing the rival of Michael B Jordan in the boxing sequel, Creed III, which was released earlier this year.
He was strongly recommended for an Oscar nod after portraying an inexperienced muscle builder in a different movie called Magazine Dreams, which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. However, the film's debut was postponed after he was taken into custody.
The actor was chosen by Marvel Studios to portray different versions of the powerful and multiverse-spanning character Kang in the Disney+ series Loki. He also appeared in his first Marvel movie role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
People who remained to watch the credits likely caught a glimpse of forthcoming plot lines related to Kang, or various variations of Kang.
The source of the image is from Marvel/Walt Disney Studios/Moviestore/Shutterstock.
The upcoming movie, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, will focus on the antagonist role previously portrayed by Majors.
According to Alvin Addo-Quaye, who operates Big A movie and popular culture evaluations on TikTok, Kang was positioned as the next major villain for the MCU following Thanos. "They were seriously establishing him up for the upcoming Avengers films," he says.
Majors' character has an important role in the upcoming movie Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. The name of the character can be found in the title of the film, which is set to be released in 2026. Additionally, the character was supposed to have a significant role in the movie Avengers: Secret Wars, which is set to be released in 2027.
The film critic Jake Coyle from the Associated Press stated that Jonathan Majors was crucial to Marvel's success and now that they are cutting ties with him, it has caused chaos for the future development of their cinema franchise.
Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone magazine stated that it would be unfeasible to create the subsequent portion of a multi-billion dollar franchise based on an entertainer whose unlawful past would be the focus of media attention for each movie.
Prior to the decision being made, there were already accounts suggesting that Marvel was unable to envision a way to proceed with Majors.
Majors declared that he was not guilty, but the words spoken by Ms Jabbari and the messages displayed on his phone - which showed him referring to himself as a "monster" and discussing his "temper" while also claiming to be a "great man" - had a severe impact on his standing in society.
Marvel has announced that they will no longer be working with him. This decision was made as the studio is trying to regain its reputation of being the unbeatable master of hit movies after a series of mediocre ones.
The newest offering from the studio, The Marvels, has experienced a disappointing start at the box office, and there are speculations that viewers have developed a phenomenon called "superhero fatigue" due to their initial excitement and anticipation.
Therefore, the business has the opportunity to utilize Majors' resignation as a chance to revamp its strategies and initiate a shift in course.
The movie called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty hasn't begun shooting yet, and its director, Destin Daniel Cretton, left the project last month. However, there is some good news as Michael Waldron, who is known for writing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, has joined the team to revise the plot.
The movie has the potential to shift focus from Kang and instead feature a new rival, leaving room for additional super villain plots like Doctor Doom to be introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Yet, Marvel might not be ready to abandon the Kang plotline without a fight, considering that they have invested five years of projects centered on the character.
This means they have the opportunity to substitute Majors with another performer, something that has happened before in the Marvel world.
When Edward Norton left the MCU due to creative disagreements, Mark Ruffalo took over as Bruce Banner and The Hulk. Likewise, Don Cheadle took on the role of Colonel James Rhodes after Terrance Howard left over financial disagreements.
According to Addo-Quaye, they can either revamp their choices or abandon their current work and incorporate a fresh antagonist, but this will require a significant amount of time.
Personally, I would favor a recast. Although we have only witnessed Jonathan Majors portray Kang and his multiple versions, I believe it would still be suitable for another actor to assume the role. The reason being that your capability to believe can be stretched.
In the end, it's just a movie based on comic books. I believe introducing a fresh antagonist would require an excessive amount of effort and time.
Majors may not have an easy solution to his problem.
He has been charged with minor offences and may receive a prison sentence or probation for a maximum of one year in February.
Many performers have found their way back into the industry after experiencing comparable circumstances, through time and remorse. Typically, it's independent movies that present a path for them rather than major film studios.
A rising star in Hollywood is unlikely to reach the same level of success again, and he has no one to blame but himself.
