Marvel Reportedly Planned To Reduce Jonathan Majors' Role In Films Prior To Conviction

In the aftermath of Jonathan Majors' conviction and Marvel dropping him from future projects as Kang the Conqueror, the studio is reworking their next chapter of films.

The next set of films will have a significantly reduced Kang presence but reports claim Marvel was already planning this before Majors was found guilty of assault and harassment.

Since his conviction, more women have accused the actor of assault and harassment. A New York Times report claimed that the actor is known for being a "controlling, threatening figure" to women.

Shortly after Jonathan Majors was convicted of assault against ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, Marvel dropped him swiftly.

His conviction was on two of four counts, which included assault and harassment outside the car with Jabbari. Prosecutors had tried to secure a conviction for his actions inside the vehicle, which allegedly included bruising her seriously.

With all the news surrounding Marvel's announcement that they're no longer working with Majors, a new report from The Hollywood Reporter has revealed the studio was already planning the move pre-conviction.

The initial plan was that Majors would star as Kang the Conqueror, the new big villain for the next set of Marvel films. However, after the movie, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," plans changed.

According to the THR report, the next movie in the "Avengers" lineup was meant to be titled "The Kang Dynasty." However, the film will no longer include Kang's name and will be significantly rewritten. This will also happen for the next set of movies lined up for this phase.

Marvel reportedly plans to either cut out the Kang character completely or minimize him into a footnote in the overall plot. The interesting part is that Marvel, which operates under Disney, already planned the move for Kang/Majors before his conviction.

According to sources who spoke to the news outlet, the studios' motivation for this was money. They were reportedly disappointed by the performance of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," which was one of the first major films introducing Kang.

Sources claim the movie wasn't a financial success and also failed to appeal to Marvel's audiences enough. It made about $476 million globally through its theatrical run, which was relatively low among Marvel and superhero movie box office standards. That alone was already a problem for the studio, and then Majors' domestic violence case came up.

Since his conviction, multiple women have also accused Majors of assault and harassment. According to a New York Times report, several of the actor's former girlfriends, colleagues, and film set workers have shared accounts of their negative experiences with Majors.

In pretrial statements to the prosecution against Majors for Jabbari's case and in interviews with the publication, Emma Duncan, a former girlfriend, accused Majors of emotionally and physically abusing her. Duncan claimed the "Creed III" actor choked her, threw her around, and bruised her on several occasions.

She said that dating him was a straight road to losing "your sense of worth." Another ex-girlfriend, Maura Hooper, also told NYT that Majors had emotionally abused her during their relationship. Both women are actresses who dated Majors before he rose to fame.

In the report, Majors was characterized as a "controlling, threatening figure who isolated" his partners from all their friends and career pursuits.

From interviews with actors and film set workers, it was revealed that Majors was known for his volatility on the set of the HBO series "Lovecraft Country."

During his time on the set, he allegedly had multiple confrontations with female co-workers that led them to file a complaint to the network.

Responding to the claims made in the NYT report, Majors' lawyer, Priya Chauhdry, said, "Mr. Majors is a method actor, well-respected for his ability to immerse himself in character. Countless female producers, co-stars, and members on set can attest to his professionalism."

The former Marvel star was initially set to receive his sentence on February 6. However, it has now been postponed to April 6 after his defense team filed a motion to set aside the verdict.