In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, interwoven films and limited series spin tales of epic heroes built from dust, battles waged for love, and villainous origins that span decades, planets, and even the space-time continuum. Perhaps it’s this framework that has transformed the public ousting of star Jonathan Majors from a cautionary tale about abusive actors into the setting for a hero’s potential comeback story.
Majors, who was convicted in December 2023 of recklessly assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, has spent the past month staging a steadfast attempt at career rehabilitation. We’re in a new era of culture, one that’s seen the rise of the #MeToo movement and the eventual rejection of cancel culture. Majors wants to reemerge into an entertainment industry that’s grappled with each of these conundrums and failed to agree on a solution, seemingly in the hope that a good media blitz and an Oscar-worthy performance will allow him to return to his former glory. But has he made even the slightest bit of progress — or change — to deserve it?
In 2022, Majors’ career was on the rise, starring in several buzzy projects like Lovecraft Country, Creed 3, and Sundance success Magazine Dreams. But the Yale School of Drama graduate’s largest role was Kang the Conqueror, a Marvel multiverse villain who, after first appearing in the TV series Loki and feature-length Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, was expected to be the central big bad of the next phase of Marvel’s cinematic plans.
That all changed on March 25, 2023, when Majors was arrested in New York City on charges of strangulation, assault, and harassment — allegations he denied completely. Further information from police and investigators revealed the alleged victim to be 30-year-old Jabbari, who had been in a romantic relationship with Majors after meeting on a Marvel set. Following his arrest, Majors was dropped by talent manager Entertainment 360 and PR firm The Lede Company and had a primetime commercial with the U.S. Army pulled from the air. Marvel remained silent until Majors’ conviction, minutes after which they announced they were parting ways with the actor.
Majors’ trial unearthed a contentious and destructive relationship between the actor and Jabarri. In a separate civil suit, which Jabbari filed in March 2024 and later settled, Jabbari described an instance where a fight over her having a friend over devolved into Majors becoming violent and threatening to kill her. “[Majors] brought Grace back into their house and held his hands around her neck, stating that he wanted to kill her, and that he was going to kill her,” Jabbari’s complaint said. “Majors then started hitting Grace’s head against the marble floor while strangling her until she felt she could no longer breathe.”
Majors has continued to deny all allegations, stating through his legal team that he was the victim of a racially biased legal proceeding. Prior to his sentencing in April 2024, Majors gave an exclusive interview to Good Morning America, saying “My hands have never struck a woman, ever.” Majors was found guilty of assault in the third degree and harassment in the second degree, but avoided jail time, accepting a sentence for therapy and a 52-week domestic violence intervention program.
But it wasn’t long before he started laying the groundwork for a full-on comeback.In June 2024, he attended a gossip site’s awards show, receiving the “Perseverance Award” and giving an extended and tear-ridden speech. “I’m imperfect. I have shortcomings — I acknowledge them,” Majors said, according to Variety. He was cast in Merciless, an independent project about a vengeful head of the CIA, directed by Martin Villeneuve and produced by Christopher Tuffin. “We live in a culture that treats people as disposable, on both sides,” Tuffin told the New York Times in June 2024. “I believe that this matter has been adjudicated in the courts and he has a right to go back to his career.” Magazine Dreams, which was dropped by Searchlight Pictures after Majors’ arrest, was picked up by Briarcliff Entertainment and is set for release on Friday. And now, Majors has returned with a series of splashy interviews — doing everything except acknowledging what got him in this position in the first place.
In a March profile with The Hollywood Reporter, his first interview in close to a year, Majors said that he went through therapy and got closer to religion after his trial, which allowed him to unpack unacknowledged trauma he experienced as a child. “I dealt with sexual abuse from both men and women from the time I was nine,” Majors said. “From people who are supposed to look after you, in the absence of a father. I was fucked up.” (Majors did not comment on Jabbari or her abuse claims.) Speaking with USA Today, Majors also said he had a “dream and hope” for a future career and attributed his recent personal growth to his wife, Meagan Good, and his newfound understanding of the necessity of support systems.
Majors wants a second chance — all without admitting any crime happened. During the trial, Jabbari — aided with video evidence — testified that Majors would go from a loving mood straight into a “rage” — throwing glass, breaking belongings, threatening to kill himself, and engaging in a cycle of blaming that led her to be isolated from friends and family. And Jabbari’s claims aren’t the only ones. According to a 2023 Rolling Stone investigation, over two dozen sources claim that Majors was aggressive on sets, and abusive with his partners throughout his time in college and beyond. (Majors has denied the findings of this report.)
Two other actresses, Emma Duncan and Maura Hooper, alleged to The New York Times that Majors was physically and/or emotionally abusive. Duncan claimed that during one fight, Majors allegedly flung her across the room, choked her, and threatened to “make sure you can’t have children.” During Majors’ conviction, Jabbari read a victim impact statement, in which she strongly emphasized she believed Majors remained “a danger to those around him.” “The only reason I’m here is because I want to protect him from hurting other people,” she said in front of the court. “I will not rest until I feel he is not a danger to anyone else.” Since his conviction, Majors has maintained that he was “reckless with [Jabbari’s] heart – not with her body.” Majors also did not respond to recent reporting from Rolling Stone about an unearthed audio clip where he appears to directly admit to Jabarri that he strangled and threw her. (When asked about the report in a recent Entertainment Tonight interview, Majors dodged the question, instead focusing on his career future. “You know I love you brother. I love you,” he told the reporter. “I just can’t speak to that. There’s work to be done.”)
Comeback stories are ubiquitous within the annals of Hollywood. They can take an actor from a has-been to award season contender and turn a decades-long dry spell into a career rejuvenation. Marvel even has one, as Robert Downey Jr.’s role as Iron Man transformed his career previously hindered by his drug problems. Majors’ Hollywood Reporter profile lists famous white actors that have gone from domestic violence accusations to steady careers, including Mel Gibson, Christian Slater, and Josh Brolin — who played lead villain Thanos in the Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame sagas. And there are major Hollywood players like Matthew Mcconaughey, Whoopi Goldberg, and Michael B. Jordan, who have all vouched for Majors’ film return following his conviction. But this reaction — and a potential climb back in fame — isn’t proportionate to Majors’ efforts.
Majors has called his conviction a “disappointment,” a “difficulty,” and a “testimony,” one that has strengthened him. But he’s never acknowledged any culpability. In fact, Majors has never publicly asked for forgiveness, most likely because it would mean admitting that even one of his alleged assaults was true.
Majors’ crawl back to the spotlight is happening at a key moment. Hollywood currently feels like it’s in recoil, with executives and studios that celebrated the openness and bravery of the #MeToo era quietly rolling back internal practices. People reelected a man found liable of sexual assault and defamation to the highest office in America. And cancel culture seems less like a vilified liberal response and instead a mythical concept; in reality, high-profile abusers walk away from allegations with their careers intact. A mea culpa may not solve everything, but letting Majors blatantly ignore his actions to get back on the big screen isn’t even an attempt at accountability — it’s a complete cover up.
Majors has continually stated that he has grown and changed — but the actor still hasn’t publicly admitted that he touched Jabbari. He hasn’t even finished the judge-appointed violence intervention program. Hopper, one of the women who accused Majors of violence, told the Hollywood Reporter she wasn’t convinced by his splashy rebrand. “I don’t really care that his movie is coming out,” she said. “What do you get at the end of a 52-week domestic violence course? Do the victims get a debrief? How could I know if he’s changed? I don’t see redemption happening here.” Rehabilitation isn’t a myth, but Majors is putting his career and his feelings ahead of the actual work. This isn’t the time or place for a villain-to-hero story. It’s about taking responsibility. And if the film community wants to keep people safe, they can start with not letting Majors rewrite the story.
From Rolling Stone US
