Marvel Studios Drops Jonathan Majors Following Assault Conviction

Marvel Studios is parting ways with actor Jonathan Majors following his misdemeanour convictions of assault and harassment, a Marvel spokesperson confirmed to HuffPost.

A New York jury convicted Majors on Monday after a two-week trial. He was acquitted of aggravated harassment and an additional assault charge.

The actor is known for his roles as Damian Anderson in “Creed III” and as Atticus Freeman in “Lovecraft Country.”

Since 2021, he has portrayed the supervillain Kang the Conqueror in multiple Marvel productions, and was positioned as the chief antagonist for the studio’s current and upcoming slate of movies and TV shows. Marvel Studios is owned by Disney.

Majors was a rising star, but ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari’s allegations seemingly put a pause on his trajectory. The case has led to debates online about his guilt or innocence and the influence of race (Majors is Black; Jabbari is white).

Jabbari accused him of physically attacking her during a conflict in March. Prosecutors said last week that Majors “didn’t hesitate to use physical violence” against Jabbari.

Among the evidence in the case, jurors saw text messages between the former couple, a video of the altercation and photos of Jabbari’s injured hand and a scratch behind her ear before reaching the verdict.

“We are gratified to see justice served by today’s guilty verdict. Ms. Jabbari testified publicly and truthfully, even though reliving these traumatic events on the witness stand was obviously painful,” Jabbari’s attorneys told CNN on Monday. “We are grateful to the jurors and the Judge for their attention and patience, and to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for their hard work and support.”

Majors had accused Jabbari of assault in June, but prosecutors closed the case in October.

Priya Chaudhry, Major’s attorney, told CNN that the actor “still has faith in the process and looks forward to fully clearing his name.” 

Disney has also removed “Magazine Dreams,” a film that was set to star Majors, from its release calendar in October.

Majors’ sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 6. He could face up to a year in prison.

The Marvel spokesperson declined to provide HuffPost with additional details.

Help and support:

If you, or someone you know, is in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are not in immediate danger, you can contact:

• The Freephone 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline, run by Refuge: 0808 2000 247
• In Scotland, contact Scotland’s 24 hour Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline: 0800 027 1234
• In Northern Ireland, contact the 24 hour Domestic & Sexual Violence Helpline: 0808 802 1414
• In Wales, contact the 24 hour Life Fear Free Helpline on 0808 80 10 800.
• National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0800 999 5428
• Men’s Advice Line: 0808 801 0327
• Respect helpline (for anyone worried about their own behaviour): 0808 802 0321