Jonathan Majors Found Guilty Of Assault, Dropped By Marvel

The verdict reached on Monday after over four hours of deliberation strewed over three days has led to significant consequences for Majors, both professionally and personally.

According to Variety, Disney has officially dropped Majors from all future Marvel projects, and he faces up to a year in prison.

The charges stemmed from an incident on March 25, when Jonathan Majors called 911 claiming to have found his ex-partner, Grace Jabbari, unconscious in their apartment.

After police arrived on the scene, injuries on Jabbari resulted in the arrest and investigation of Majors and the eventual charges, which were brought on by the state of New York rather than Jabbari herself.

The investigation uncovered an altercation between Majors and Jabbari in a private car the night before the police were called to their apartment. 

The jury found Jonathan Majors not guilty of intentional assault in the third degree and not guilty of aggravated harassment in the second degree. However, he was convicted of reckless assault and harassment. Sentencing is scheduled for February 6 and Majors could face up to a year in prison.

The beginning of 2023 was set up to be a big year for Jonathan Majors. He was cast as Marvel’s next Big Bad and had already been introduced as Kang the Conqueror in both Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Loki. Following the assault accusations, Majors’ future with Marvel was in limbo but the studio dropped him after the verdict.

This decision has significant implications for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where Jonathan Majors was set to play a pivotal role in the Multiverse Saga, including the upcoming film Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Marvel Studios, led by studio commander Kevin Feige, now faces creative decisions on how to proceed with the character.

There’s the possibility of either recasting Kang and continuing as is with a new actor or altering the storyline altogether.

Jonathan Majors’ attorney, Priya Chaudhry, stands by the actor, stating after the verdict that the legal team “looks forward to clearing his name” in an appeal.

The legal proceedings revealed conflicting narratives, with Jabbari testifying that Majors had caused her injuries during the altercation in a car, while Majors’ defense argued self-defense and questioned Jabbari’s credibility.

The defense also presented evidence, including video surveillance footage and texts, attempting to challenge the prosecution’s narrative and suggest Jabbari’s involvement in the events.

Following the announcement of the verdict, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg expressed the office’s commitment to prioritizing survivors in their endeavors.

He said the evidence presented during the trial showcased that Jonathan Majors had shown a recurring cycle of psychological and emotional abuse towards Jabbari.

The fallout from Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles has already impacted his career significantly.

Prior to the trial, Majors was enjoying a successful year with starring roles in major projects like Creed III and Magazine Dreams.

However, since his arrest, he has been dropped by his talent manager, publicity firm, and several projects, including the Protagonist Pictures film The Man in My Basement.