Jonathan Majors is “heartbroken” that his Kang the Conqueror was replaced in Marvel’s upcoming “Avengers” movies with Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.
Majors, who played Kang in two seasons of “Loki” and opposite Paul Rudd in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” was set to be the big bad for the MCU’s Multiverse Saga before being convicted of assault late last year. It was announced at Comic-Con over the weekend that his film “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” had become “Avengers: Doomsday” starring Downey Jr.
Majors reacted to the news in a street interview with TMZ. Watch it below:
“Yeah, heartbroken. Of course,” he said. “I love Kang. Doctor Doom is wicked though.”
When asked if he’d come back as Kang, the actor enthused, “Hell yeah! Hell yeah! I love him. I love Kang. If that’s what the fans want, and that’s what Marvel wants, then let’s roll. Hell yeah.”
Majors was found guilty on one count of assault and one count of harassment back in December after an altercation with his then-girlfriend Grace Jabbari. A Manhattan criminal court ruled that he needed to complete a 52-week in-person batterer’s intervention program and mental health therapy. He earned no prison time.
TMZ also asked about Downey Jr. and “The Flash” star Ezra Miller’s own struggles with the law over the years. Downey Jr. infamously served a 15-month prison sentence after his substance abuse issues came to a head in 1999. Miller was arrested numerous times in 2022 and pled guilty to trespassing in early 2023. They received a year probation and $500 fine.
“They’re being allowed to work their art and be creative at that level,” Majors said. “I didn’t really get that.”
Downey Jr. was announced to play Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom in both “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. He was revealed by the Russo Brothers, who are also coming back to direct the pair of Avengers films after helming “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.”
“There is one very important character that is required to do ‘Secret Wars’ justice … It could be the most important character in all of the Marvel universe,” Joe Russo said.
He continued, “If we’re going to bring Victor Von Doom to movie theaters worldwide, then I think we’re going to need the greatest actor in the world to play that character. As proof of the unimaginable possibilities in the Marvel multiverse, we give you the one person who could play Victor Von Doom.”
