Jonathan Majors Is 'Heartbroken' Over Losing Marvel Villain Role to Robert Downey Jr. After His Guilty Conviction
Jonathan Majors was set to be the main 'Avengers' villain, Kang the Conqueror, before being convicted of assault
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Robert Downey Jr. at Comic Con; Jonathan Majors in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" (2023)Jonathan Majors is sharing his reaction to Robert Downey Jr. replacing him as the next main Avengers villain.
Majors, 34, made appearances as Kang the Conqueror in the Disney+ series Loki and 2023's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as his character was poised to become the next primary nemesis in the Marvel Studios sequels. However, after the actor was found guilty of assault, the company dropped him from the franchise in December.
At the 2024 San Diego Comic Con on July 27, it was revealed that Downey, known for his MCU part as Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, would return to the franchise to play supervillain Doctor Doom, solidifying the next bad guy for the series.
On July 30, TMZ asked Majors if he feels hurt by the new direction Marvel Studios has taken. "Yeah, heartbroken," he said. "Come on, yeah, of course. I love him. I love Kang." When asked if he would want the role back one day, Majors said, "Hell yeah. ... If that's what the fans want, if that's what Marvel wants, let's roll."
Related: How Can Robert Downey Jr. Be Iron Man and Dr. Doom? All About the New Marvel Villain
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Jonathan Majors on Feb. 6, 2023The 2026 movie Avengers: The Kang Dynasty has since been renamed to Avengers: Doomsday with Downey's surprise casting announcement. The sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, is expected to release in 2027.
“New mask, same task," Downey said on the Comic Con stage as the crowd applauded after his casting was revealed. "What did I tell ya? I like playing complicated characters."
Directors Anthony and Joe Russo said prior to revealing Downey as Doctor Doom that they believe "there is one very important character required to do Secret Wars justice," and teased they would need "the greatest actor in the world" to play the Fantastic Four villain.
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