MarvelBlog News for December 24th, 2023
Do you know what’s a lovely topic for a Christmas Eve edition of MarvelBlog News?
Whatever your answer is, it’s probably not an assault conviction for an MCU star, but here we are anyway.
You know what we must discuss in this week’s update…
Jonathan Majors Is Guilty
Image: Marvel
Throughout the year, MarvelBlog has covered the accusations against Jonathan Majors and how they have impacted the MCU.
A few years ago, Disney went all-in on Majors, casting him as Kang the Conqueror in what was intended to be a series of appearances.
Kang the Conqueror #1. Photo: Marvel Comics
In the Marvel comics, Kang exists as a multiversal character with many variants.
The current phase of the MCU is technically the Multiverse Saga. So, yeah. Here we are, and it’s not great.
Majors’ tenure as Kang has proven odd. His debut on Loki was quite mesmerizing, while his first film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, well, you know.
Image: Marvel
Then, Majors circled back as He Who Remains and added Victor Timely in Loki season two.
I don’t think any honest person could question Majors’ talent. But that’s a side debate to what just happened.
During the filming of Loki season two, an incident occurred between Majors and his then-girlfriend.
Source: Marvel Studios
During testimony, both parties confirmed that an uproar occurred after the victim saw a text from another woman who stated she wished she were kissing Majors.
Nobody reacts anything but poorly when they learn about a partner’s infidelity.
The two individuals argued, which is what led to Majors using violence.
Photo:
The Washington Post/Getty Images
In a court of law, a jury of the actor’s peers has determined that Majors committed two crimes.
He is guilty of Reckless Assault and Harassment. Theoretically, Majors could serve up to a year in jail, but that’s wildly unlikely.
Photo: Marvel Comics
Most of these misdemeanor charges turn into plea deals for community service, so a famous actor is unlikely to spend much, if any, time in prison.
That’s not why Majors pushed for a trial, though.
Marvel Fires Majors
Marvel and its corporate owner, Disney, didn’t act immediately on the accusations against the MCU character.
As I’ve stated many times, Marvel chose to allow the court system to run its course before determining Majors’s fate.
Presumably, Majors wanted his day in court in hopes of exoneration. A not-guilty verdict might have meant that Majors stayed with the MCU.
Source: Marvel Studios
I say this because Marvel fired Majors within an hour of the verdict. They were ready and waiting to move.
The timing of this affair leads me to wonder whether Marvel needed to wait for a guilty verdict for legal reasons.
With a conviction, Majors may have violated a morals clause in his contract. I’m speculating here, but it’s a reasonable explanation.
Image: Disney
The other aspect is that Marvel wouldn’t look good if it cut ties with Majors, only for the actor to win his case.
In that scenario, Marvel would have fired him for unproven allegations.
We will likely learn Marvel and Disney’s thinking at a later date, but those are side issues to the current conversation.
Source: Marvel Studios
For Disney’s part, this conviction represents the doomsday scenario. The studio had debated an Oscar campaign for Majors.
Earlier this year, Majors turned heads for his work in Magazine Dreams, a film Disney’s Searchlight studio bought.
In some alternate universe – no Kang jokes, please – Magazine Dreams is already in theaters and succeeding.
Photo: Golden Apple Comics Instagram
The film’s original release date was December 8th. That didn’t happen for the obvious reason.
Now, Marvel has lost its Kang while Disney is stuck with a film it cannot release.
Speaking of which…
Marvel Releases 2024 Schedule
I’ll write a standalone article on this topic in a few days.
However, the story today is that Disney released its 2024 film and television schedule across all its brands.
Image: Marvel
On the Marvel side, Disney confirmed one film and five television series. Those releases are:
- Agatha: Darkhold Diaries
- Deadpool 3
- Echo
- Eyes of Wakanda
- X-Men ‘97
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
While asking around about these titles, a few insiders heard from their Disney/Marvel sources something that The Hollywood Reporter suggested.
Source: Marvel
Marvel isn’t calling the next Avengers movie The Kang Dynasty anymore. Now, they refer to it as Avengers 5 instead.
Does that mean Marvel has gotten out of the Kang business? I cannot say that with confidence. In fact, it’s not what I’m hearing.
Instead, the prevailing belief among insiders is that Kang will return…later.
KANG THE CONQUEROR #1 cover by Mike Del Mundo. Photo: Marvel
Presumably, Marvel is taking that approach for two reasons. It wants time to pass and people to forget about Majors.
Also, there’s a decent chance the actor appeals the verdict, which could extend this circus for another year or more.
So, Marvel is pretty much stuck in the short term, but let’s not kid ourselves.
Photo: Marvel Comics
The studio has known since the spring that this was a possibility. There are contingencies upon contingencies in place.
Still, I’m gonna end this week’s update here because it feels like the perfect capper for Marvel’s 2023.
The intended face of the franchise no longer works for Marvel. It’s been that kind of year for the studio.
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Featured image: Marvel
