The fate of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the highest-grossing entertainment franchise in history, will be decided this month in a Manhattan courtroom.
That’s where Jonathan Majors, the 34-year-old actor who played Kang the Conqueror in 2023’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” is on trial for misdemeanor assault and harassment after being accused by his ex-girlfriend, the actress Grace Jabbari. , of abusing her in the back seat of a chauffeured van in March.
He pleaded not guilty.
The domestic violence trial is expected to last several weeks, and prosecutors will call a dozen witnesses before Majors’ defense case begins, which could take a few days. It is unknown if the actor will take the stand.
On Wednesday, new surveillance footage was shown to jurors in court that showed Majors pulling his ex away from him at the corner of Center and Canal streets in Chinatown before running away. According to Jabbari, the altercation took place after she allegedly discovered evidence that the actor had been cheating on her: a flirtatious text message on her cell phone from a woman named “Cleopatra.”
Jonathan Majors has been accompanied to court by his girlfriend Meagan Good. Steven Hirsch
His legal problems and his optics are huge problems for Disney, because Kang is not just another supervillain. The sixth “phase” of the MCU, or collection of several narratively connected films and television series, is largely built around the almighty bad guy.
Kang was a vital part of “Loki” season 2 on Disney+, and an upcoming movie set to premiere in 2026 is even named after his villain: “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” Majors will also appear in “Avengers: The Secret Wars” the following year.
So Marvel Studios, which is also experiencing a worrying box office decline, faces three options: rewrite, recast, or stay.
Entertainment attorney Tre Lovell told The Post that he believes Majors’ reputation (and his blockbuster performance) is not 100% in jeopardy if the jury rules in his favor.
Brigitte Stelzer
“His career has a chance of coming back, if there is a ‘not guilty,’” Lovell said. “I know his management fired him and Disney canceled the release of ‘Magazine Dreams.’ But believe me, they would love to publish it. What happens in Hollywood is that everyone gets very scared when things like this happen to their actors, but deep down they always hope they can move on because it’s money for them.”
The earliest “Kang Dynasty” would go into production would be spring 2024, and if Majors were found not guilty, Lovell said that could give Disney and audiences enough breathing space to continue as planned.
“What will happen is that he will continue working [in indie films] and people will see it for the next two years. And then once people go to those movies and see those projects, that will give comfort to the [major studios].”
Majors is supposed to play Kang the Conquerer in several MCU films, including “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” Disney/Courtesy Everett Collection
However, while some reports claim that Disney is “committed” to Kang, a source told Variety that they can’t imagine the studio continuing the story.
“Marvel is really screwed with the whole Kang angle,” they said weeks before the trial began. “And they haven’t had the opportunity to rewrite until very recently. [because of the WGA strike]. But I don’t see a way forward with it.”
But to avoid going back to the drawing board and throwing out years of carefully plotted movies and TV series, Disney could choose to recast the role.
It’s easy to forget, with 15 years and 33 movies under their belt in the MCU, that they’ve changed major roles several times before. Edward Norton, who played Bruce Banner in 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk,” has since been replaced by Mark Ruffalo. And Don Cheadle took over the role of James Rhodes from Terrence Howard in “Iron Man 2.”
Majors had a breakout year, starring in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” “Magazine Dreams” and “Creed III.” ©MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection
But the studio would be missing out on a rising acting talent in Majors, who earned Oscar buzz for his performance in “Magazine Dreams” after it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and was acclaimed for his portrayal of a boxer. two-sided in “Creed III”. He was the only thing nobody liked about “Quantumania.”
Still, one Hollywood producer said Marvel would be fine without the actor. When asked how Majors’ ordeal would affect the MCU, they said, “Nothing.”
Majors confidently appeared in court, bringing a copy of the Bible and accompanied by his girlfriend Meagan Good.
Lovell said confident defiance is key for famous people in such complicated situations.
“They need to strongly reject the accusations and really fight for their reputation. This is what Majors is doing,” she said.
“He is on a war path. He is on trial for misdemeanor assault. “He’s backing off.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn