Marvel separates from actor Jonathan Majors, guilty of violence against his ex-partner

Actor Jonathan Majors, a rising Hollywood star, was found guilty Monday of assaulting a former girlfriend after a trial in New York that will cost him his role as a villain in Marvel films, said American media and a source close to the case.

The 34-year-old actor, who starred in Creed III and played Kang the Conqueror in the third Ant-Man film, was found guilty of third-degree assault, the least serious level for that type. of indictment, and harassment, by a jury of six people. He was acquitted on two other charges.

His sentence, which could be up to a year in prison, will be pronounced on February 6. But the Marvel franchise has already decided to no longer work with the actor, American media reported, which was confirmed to AFP by a source close to the matter.

The actor was arrested March 25 after an argument in a car with his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, who testified during the trial in Manhattan court. According to her testimony, the actor attacked her to get her phone back after an argument started in a car, grabbing her arm violently and hitting her head. Jonathan Majors' lawyers have pleaded his total innocence.

For Manhattan prosecutor Alvin Bragg, the trial on the contrary demonstrated that Jonathan Majors had “become accustomed” to exerting “psychological and emotional pressure” on his girlfriend, which resulted in the attack on March 30.

Following the hearing, the actor's lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, responded: "It is clear that the jury did not believe Grace Jabbari's (the plaintiff) account of what happened in the SUV because they concluded that Mr. Majors did not intentionally cause any injury to her. We are grateful for this. We are disappointed, however, that although the jury did not believe Ms. Jabbari, it still concluded that Mr. Majors was somewhat reckless in attacking him. Mr. Majors is grateful to God, his family, friends and fans for their love and support during these eight trying months. Mr. Majors remains confident in the process and looks forward to completely clearing his name.”

Revealed with his role in The last black man in San Francisco (2019), the actor also played in Da 5 Bloods by Spike Lee (2020) then in the series Lovecraft Country on HBO and Creed III, the sequel to the series Rocky. He then set foot in the Marvel universe with the series Loki, and the film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, in which he played a villainous role, Kang.

Prior to his trial, Jonathan Majors was set to appear in two upcoming films in the franchise, Avengers: The Kang Dinasty, and Avengers: Secret Wars.