Marvel, And The Financial Fallout Of The Jonathan Majors Verdict

Highlights

• Actor Jonathan Majors, known for his roles in Lovecraft Country and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania , has been found guilty on charges of reckless assault and harassment in relation to a domestic incident involving his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari.
• Majors' guilty verdict has resulted in swift action from Marvel Studios, who have cut all ties with him and will no longer work with him on the upcoming project Avengers: The Kang Dynasty .
• Majors' legal troubles have had a significant financial impact, leading to the loss of lucrative brand deals, contracts, and professional representation. The actor's net worth is estimated to be around $2 million.

A charismatic swagger that propelled Emmy-nominated actor Jonathan Majors to Hollywood stardom has come crashing down, leaving a wake of shock and disappointment.

Majors rose to prominence with his role in an independent film titled The Last Black Man In San Francisco and on the acclaimed HBO series Lovecraft Country, for which he received an Emmy nod.

Majors established his A-game status when he starred alongside Michael B. Jordan in Creed III; the third installment in the Creed film series grossed $275.3 million worldwide:

On December 18th, a jury in Manhattan found the actor guilty on charges of reckless assault and harassment, stemming from a domestic incident involving Majors' former girlfriend, British choreographer Grace Jabbari.

Majors was found guilty on one count of reckless assault in the 3rd degree, and a charge of harassment as a violation.

He was acquitted on two separate, additional counts of assault and aggravated harassment, which would have "required prosecutors to show that he had acted with intent," per the New York Times.

The six-person jury deliberated for four and a half hours before reaching a decision; all four charges stemmed from the same incident.

Jonathan Majors' verdict culminated in swift and decisive action from Marvel Studios – the severing of all ties with the promising young star.

Before his arrest, Majors had been on track to become a central figure throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Majors portrayed the villain Kang the Conqueror in Marvel projects.

He starred in Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, which was released on February 17th, just over a month before the incident.

Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania grossed $476.1 million globally, on the back of a $200 million budget.

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Majors' initial arrest and eventual conviction on two of four charges created a seismic impact not just on the actor's fledgling career, but also the studios and brands with which he was actively working.

Here's what we know about the incident, its aftermath, and the financial impact to all parties involved.

Brands, Firms Drop Majors After His March Arrest

In the initial aftermath of his arrest – while the charges were still pending – Majors was met with several professional setbacks, losing myriad lucrative deals and contracts.

Within days, the United States Army announced they were suspending all recruiting commercials that featured Majors:

The Army's pivot was perhaps a bellwether, and their decision to cut Majors amid an expensive recruitment campaign was extensively covered.

Army Times described a catastrophic impact on the campaign, as Majors' arrest occurred "mere weeks" after an "elaborate rollout":

Questions swirled on March 27[th 2023] about the future of the Army’s $117 million “Be all you can be” rebranding effort, and the service and its partners did little to answer them.

Mere weeks after an elaborate rollout ceremony at The National Press Club, the service’s marketing office yanked its first two advertisements, the only ones released so far in the new campaign, from the airwaves.

Army Times first reported the move, which followed actor Jonathan Majors’ March 25[th] arrest in New York City on charges of assault, strangulation and harassment against a 30-year-old woman.

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Majors' compensation for the campaign was not disclosed, but Army Times indicated the rebranding effort cost the military branch a staggering $117 million.

By early April, Majors was dropped by talent management agency Entertainment 360, as well as by the public relations firm representing him.

IGN reported that Majors had been axed from two additional projects (including an Otis Redding biopic), and published a statement by his attorney in response to those developments:

Jonathan Majors is innocent and has not abused anyone. We have provided irrefutable evidence to the District Attorney that the charges are false. We are confident that he will be fully exonerated.

In mid-April, The Independent reported that Majors had lost brand deals with Valentino and a Major League Baseball team, the Texas Rangers.

Majors also stepped away from two non-profit efforts after his arrest, including the "Gotham Film and Media Institute board and its Sidney Poitier Initiative."

It would be difficult to calculate the initial professional cost of the arrest to Majors, but it was likely in the multi-millions.

The Jonathan Majors Verdict: Incident, Arrest, And Trial

On March 25th, Majors was arrested on charges of assault, strangulation and harassment, following the domestic dispute described above.

Initially Jabbari was not identified in the press; on that date, the New York Times covered Majors' arrest, reporting:

The actor Jonathan Majors was arrested on [March 25th] in Manhattan and charged with assault and harassment after what the police in New York described as a “domestic dispute.”

Mr. Majors, 33, was taken into custody without incident, the authorities said. The victim, described only as a 30-year-old woman, was taken to a hospital after suffering what the police said were minor injuries to her head and neck.

Majors was released from custody that day, and his spokesperson denied the allegations.

In the same article, the Times carried a statement attributed to Majors' lawyer and publicist, describing the actor as the "victim of an altercation":

In a statement sent [to the paper] by Carrie Gordon, a representative for Mr. Majors, and attributed to Priya Chaudhry, Mr. Majors’s lawyer, Ms. Chaudhry wrote that Mr. Majors was the “victim of an altercation with a woman he knows,” that the woman had recanted the accusation and that video evidence and witnesses supported his account.

Not long after Majors' arrest, details about the incident slowly began to emerge.

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According to CBS News, the altercation began after Jabbari noticed a text message from another woman on Majors' phone – which allegedly read: "Wish I was kissing you right now."

In an effort to get his phone back, the film star grabbed his then-girlfriend, twisted her arm behind her back and hit her on the head, Ms Jabbari testified.

CBS added:

Majors' defense said Jabbari was the instigator and, "The only thing that broke in the back of the SUV was Grace's heart" ...

... There was no video evidence inside the SUV, only testimony of the driver who described Jabbari as the aggressor.

Police said they found injuries on Jabbari, including a bruised and fractured finger and a laceration behind one ear.

Majors entered a plea of not guilty on all charges filed in relation to the incident.

The legal process began to unfold, revealing conflicting narratives; the jury was shown audio recordings and text messages between the former couple.

"I'm a monster. A horrible man. Not capable of love," the actor was quoted as saying in a September 2022 text, in which he also threatened to harm himself.

Additional text messages alluded to a prior incident between Majors and Jabbari, in which the actor appeared to dissuade Jabbari from going to the hospital after she suffered an injury to her head.

Jabbari later came forward publicly, detailing her account and seeking legal protection against Majors.

Security footage further muddied the waters, with interpretations differing between the prosecution and defense:

As the trial commenced in November, Jabbari took the stand, providing her testimony and evidence to support her claims.

Witness statements added to the tapestry of the incident, including that of a bystander who described Jabbari as visibly upset – but saw no physical injuries. Video footage captured Majors' agitated state, adding another dimension to the already complex picture.

After deliberating for six hours over the course of three days, the jury entered their verdict on December 18th.

The judge also issued a new protection order, forbidding Majors from contacting Jabbari.

Majors was convicted of one misdemeanor and one violation, which carry a maximum sentence of one year in prison.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 6th, and The Hollywood Reporter hinted that Majors could appeal the ruling:

In a statement after the verdict [was entered], the actor’s attorney, Priya Chaudhry, said Majors “looks forward to fully clearing his name,” implying he may appeal.

She continued, “Mr. Majors is grateful to God, his family, his friends, and his fans for their love and support during these harrowing eight months.”

Marvel Cuts Ties After The Jonathan Majors Verdict

Prior to his arrest in March, Jonathan Majors was positioned as a key antagonist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the Disney-owned studio building its entire current story arc around Majors' Kang the Conqueror.

The time-traveling villain played a role in 2023's successful Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, which grossed nearly half a billion dollars.

Officially confirmed figures have not been made available, but several sources claim Jonathan Majors earned almost $550,000 as Kang the Conqueror, the antagonist of Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania.

Majors' purported half a million dollar payday for that film was not the entirety of his Marvel-related compensation, though.

Majors also featured heavily in the Disney+ series Loki, the second season of which ended in November:

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Majors was set to lead Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, tentatively scheduled for a May 2026 release, but the project is still in the script phase with no director currently assigned.

According to Variety, Jonathan Majors would have earned $20 million, including back-end compensation, for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Immediately after the verdict, a Marvel spokesperson confirmed the actor would no longer collaborate with the studio.

With Majors' sentencing scheduled for February 2024, it appears Marvel has two potential courses of action with respect to The Kang Dynasty.

Marvel Studios has the option to recast the part of Kang, although the actor's very public break from the studio could dissuade other actors from stepping into the role.

Majors' net worth was estimated at around $2 million in March, underscoring the financial impact of the verdict, and Marvel's decision to formally part ways with the star.

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