"Can he be Kang again?" — Fans react as Jonathan Majors lands first movie role since assault conviction

Jonathan Majors landed his first role since his assault conviction. The actor is all set to star in the upcoming supernatural revenge thriller Merciless. Martin Villeneuve, Dune director Denis Villeneuve's younger brother will direct the movie. As per Deadline, the movie's shooting will happen in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

The upcoming film will also feature a screenplay written by Frank Hannah of Damage fame. Back in March of last year, the police arrested Jonathan Majors for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabarri. In April, a jury found him guilty of assault and harassment and sentenced him to a year of domestic violence counseling, including a 52-week in-person session based in Los Angeles.

Netizens wonder if Majors can return as Kang (Image via Instagram/@hollywoodunlocked)

Social media went abuzz when the news came out that Majors, who lost a lot of roles because of the allegations and the conviction against him, landed a prominent film role. Fans of the actor rejoiced and showed him support and many even inquired if Marvel was going to let him reprise his role of Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here are a few X reactions:

"@MarvelStudios just hire bro back.." stated one X user.

"this is going to be his masterpiece", said a second user.

"Let me be the first to say i will be watching this," proclaimed a third X user.

"Question 🙋🏽‍♀️ can @Disney @Marvel @MarvelStudios hire him back as He Who Remains aka Kang? He is truly a great actor and he deserves a second chance like Iron Man received. Nobody is perfect and Grace and Mercy should be shown," stated another user.

However, some social media users were not happy about Jonathan Majors' comeback. Some wondered how Majors was still receiving opportunities, while a few others decided they would not be watching the film.

"how is this guy still getting roles", asked one X user.

"Why are we giving jobs to criminals?" asked another user.

"We will not be watching," stated a user.

"The double-standards of Hollywood are clear as day," stated yet another user.

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Jonathan Majors partners up with Christopher Tuffin

After being convicted of two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment in December 2023, Majors' management agency Entertainment 360, and his publicity firm, the Lede Company dropped him.

Despite building up Jonathan Majors' character Kang the Conqueror as the next big threat to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney too severed ties with the actor, stripping him of his then-forthcoming performances as the franchise's central villain including the 2026 film Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Producer Christopher Tuffin, who also played a gigantic hand in developing the 2023 movie Sound of Freedom, developed Merciless, as part of his upcoming brand-new global media venture. As per Deadline, Tuffin expects to showcase the nature of his new venture with Merciless.

In a statement from Tuffin detailed on Deadline, the producer explained he refuses to let selective prosecution and the court of public opinion undermine great art and artists. The statement further read:

"In graduate school, I had the good fortune to study screenwriting under Blacklist scribe Millard Lampell and learned from him the dangers of letting politics undermine due process and deprive artists of their careers,"

Tuffin added:

"I consider it an honor and a privilege to be working with Jonathan who is such a great talent now that this matter has been adjudicated."

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As per Deadline, Merciless is a supernatural thriller that revolves around a CIA interrogator, who seeks a dark path after his better half gets kidnapped by sinister forces. The exact release date of the project has not come out yet.