Marvel drops actor Jonathan Majors after assault conviction

Rising Hollywood star Jonathan Majors was convicted on Monday of assault and harassment of his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, prompting Marvel Studios and Disney to immediately drop him from a prime role in its superhero films.

Majors' conviction could see the actor facing up to one year in jail and has upended Marvel's plans for the franchise, which had his character "Kang the Conqueror" front and center in multiple upcoming films.

Probation and other non-jail sentences are also possible. Majors will be sentenced on February 6.

The case against Jonathan Majors

In early March, police said they had responded to an emergency call in Manhattan, determining in a preliminary investigation that there had been a domestic dispute between Majors and Jabbari.

The court heard that Majors had received a text message and Jabbari had sought to take his phone, believing the contact to be from another woman, local media reported.

There was then a struggle, with the pair's legal representatives trading accusations over who attacked whom in the ensuing tussle.

"Jonathan Majors was found guilty by a Manhattan Criminal Court jury of assault in the third degree and harassment in the second degree," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

"The evidence presented throughout this trial illustrated a cycle of psychological and emotional abuse, and escalating patterns of coercion," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.

"A jury determined that pattern of abuse and coercion culminated with Mr. Majors assaulting and harassing his girlfriend."

Majors' Marvel career over

Majors has appeared in several major films, including "Creed III," "Lovecraft Country," for which he was nominated for an Emmy, and "Magazine Dreams," a film presented at the Sundance Film Festival.

The 34-year-old had his debut Marvel role in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" earlier in 2023, and was set to appear in at least two subsequent Avengers films —  the top franchise in the Marvel universe.

"Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" had been slated for release in May 2026. It was not immediately clear if or how Marvel would proceed with their plans.

mds/ab (AFP, AP)