After being dropped by Marvel as Kang, Jonathan Majors has reacted to Robert Downey Jr playing Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.
Speaking to TMZ, Majors seemed bummed that Downey is Marvel's new big bad in Avengers: Doomsday.
“Yeah, heartbroken,” Majors said with a smile. “I love him. I love Kang. Doctor Doom is wicked, though.”
He was then somewhat compared to Ezra Miller and Downey, who had previously had trouble with the law. TMZ asked if he thinks his treatment — essentially being blacklisted from Hollywood — is “unfair.”
“I think it's fair that Mr. Downey has been greeted with patience and curiosity and love, and that Mr. Miller has gotten the same treatment, and that they're being allowed to work their art and be creative at that level,” Majors said. “I [didn't] really get that.”
The reporter then asked if Majors wished he did get that same treatment. A smiling Majors replied, “I mean, that's hard.”
Finally, Majors was asked if he wanted the role of Kang back. He did seem open if that is what the fans and Marvel Studios both want.
“Hell yeah, hell yeah. I love him, I love Kang,” Majors responded. “If that's what the fans want, if that's what Marvel wants, let's roll.”
Why was Jonathan Majors fired as Kang?
Starting in 2021, Jonathan Majors was the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) Kang the Conquerer. He was positioned as the next big villain, akin to Thanos.
After making his debut in Loki, Majors got his first major Marvel role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. That version of Kang was one of many variants out in the universe.
However, after his long assault trial, Majors was ultimately dropped by Marvel Studios as Kang. He was found guilty of reckless assault in the third degree and was also charged with harassment.
This left a big void in the plans for Avengers 5, which was originally titled The Kang Dynasty. So, they had to turn to some familiar faces to shift the focus away from Majors.
Before getting fired by Marvel, Majors was hitting the prime of his career. He rose to fame thanks to roles in The Last Black Man in San Fransisco, Da 5 Bloods, and Lovecraft Country. He also starred in Devotion with Glen Powell and Creed 3 with Michael B Jordan.
In 2023, Majors led Magazine Dreams. In it, he played a bodybuilder struggling with his rise to fame. Magazine Dreams premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival before being acquired by Searchlight Pictures. However, the studio, which is a part of Disney, dropped it from their slate.
Robert Downey Jr's epic Marvel return
At the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, the Russo brothers (Joe and Anthony) were announced as the directors of the fifth and sixth Avengers movies, Doomsday and Secret Wars. Additionally, Robert Downey Jr will return to Marvel to play Doctor Doom.
This is a major change-up from the original plans. Downey was previously the anchor of the MCU as Tony Stark/Iron Man. After all, it was Iron Man that began the franchise in 2008. He also led four Avengers movies and will now be the antagonist of the next two.
The Russo brothers previously directed four MCU movies — Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Three of the films grossed over $1 billion at the box office. The last two are two of the highest-grossing movies ever.
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