It wasn’t long ago when 33-year-old actor Jonathan Majors was riding high on a wave of fame after starring in two of this year’s most successful films, Creed III and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While squaring off against Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed in the Rocky spinoff sequel is enough for Majors to see his name in lights, he also plays Kang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the money-printing franchise’s newest villain, and focus of future phases. In addition to appearing in the first season of Loki and being the standout of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Kang is destined to fight the Avengers in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2025) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2026). It’s a lofty role. However, some outlets speculate Marvel could recast Kang following an unsettling story that remains in limbo.
In March, a woman accused Jonathan Majors of assault in a domestic setting. According to a statement from the New York Police Department, who arrested Jonathan Majors, “The victim informed police she was assaulted. Officers placed the 33-year-old male into custody without incident.” The charges listed against Majors include strangulation, assault, and harassment. Per The Hollywood Reporter, citing the statement, “The woman sustained minor injuries to her head and neck and was taken to a hospital.” Majors was released from custody shortly after being arrested.
At the time, a representative for Majors stated, “He has done nothing wrong. We look forward to clearing his name and clearing this up.” Shortly after the incident, Majors’ criminal defense attorney stated: “Jonathan Majors is completely innocent and is provably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows…We are quickly gathering and presenting evidence to the District Attorney with the expectation that all charges will be dropped imminently.”
The attorney added that “evidence includes video footage from the vehicle where this episode took place, witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the episode, and most importantly, two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations…All the evidence proves that Mr. Majors is entirely innocent and did not assault her whatsoever…Unfortunately, this incident came about because this woman was having an emotional crisis, for which she was taken to a hospital yesterday. The NYPD is required to make an arrest in these situations, and this is the only reason Mr. Majors was arrested. We expect these charges to be dropped soon.”
While Majors’ reps are confident of their defense, news about the incident has grown noticeably quiet in the following weeks.
According to reports, Marvel met with the actor’s representatives but has yet to decide his fate. Whispers indicate Marvel is “discussing options” regarding Majors’ MCU future. Insider Jeff Sneider spoke about the issue on the Hot Mic podcast, saying Majors’ reps are in contact with Marvel and are ironing out the details. “I’ve heard that Marvel hasn’t made any decisions regarding Jonathan Majors but they’ve met with or spoken to his agent to discuss potential options going forward,” Sneider said.
Kang is a significant part of Marvel’s plan for Phase 5 and Phase 6. Recasting Kang is possible (it’s fantasy, after all), but bothersome nonetheless. With uncertainty lingering in the air and countless balls to juggle as production schedules loom, Marvel must decide if they’re sticking with Majors sooner rather than later.
What do you think about Marvel’s Jonathan Majors conundrum? Should they recast Kang before the truth about the incident is determined? Can they afford to wait for answers? Feel free to sound off in the comments and let us know what you would do if the fate of the MCU’s newest Big Bad rested in your hands.