Jonathan Majors breaks silence on Robert Downey Jr. replacing him as next 'Avengers' villain

2024-12-26 00:52:41 source:lotradecoin platform updates and news category:Finance

Jonathan Majors is breaking his silence after Marvel found the actor to replace him as its next big villain.

The "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" star, 34, told TMZ he is "heartbroken" about Marvel announcing that Robert Downey Jr. will star as Doctor Doom in the next "Avengers" film, "Avengers: Doomsday." The movie was originally called "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" and was expected to star Majors as the title villain.

Though Majors told TMZ that Doctor Doom "is wicked," he said that he loves his character of Kang and would still return to play him "if that's what the fans want" and "that's what Marvel wants."

Marvel officially dropped Majors in December after he was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. Majors had pleaded not guilty. The actor did not receive any jail time but was sentenced to a domestic violence intervention program.

The "Creed III" actor also said he has not received the same "patience and curiosity and love" as Downey, who was hired to star in 2008's "Iron Man" after a string of legal issues. "I didn't really get that," he told TMZ.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Who is Doctor Doom?Robert Downey Jr.'s shocking Marvel casting explained

The month before his arrest, Marvel premiered "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," which starred Majors as the villain Kang the Conqueror. The movie ended with the tease that Majors would return as many different versions of Kang, positioning him as the new equivalent of Josh Brolin's villain Thanos from "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame." The previous year, Marvel announced the next "Avengers" film would be called "The Kang Dynasty."

But on Saturday, Marvel revealed a major pivot at Comic-Con by announcing that Downey's Doctor Doom will be the villain of its next "Avengers" movie, which is now called "Avengers: Doomsday" and is set for release in 2026. This title change implied that Marvel's Kang storyline has been abandoned, rather than simply continued with a new actor replacing Majors.

More:Finance

Recommend

Worst. Tariffs. Ever. (update)

(Note: This episode originally ran in 2018.)The Smoot-Hawley Tariffs were a debacle that helped plun

A federal judge in Texas will hear arguments over Boeing’s plea deal in a 737 Max case

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered a hearing next month over Boeing’s agreem

A man trying to cremate his dog sparked a wildfire in Colorado, authorities say

NUCLA, Colo. (AP) — Wildfire investigators looking for the cause of blaze in western Colorado last m