Jonathan Majors Breaks Silence on Robert Downey Jr. Casting After Losing Out on Kang Role

Jonathan Majors has spoken out after Robert Downey Jr. was forged as Marvel villain Doctor Doom, succeeding Majors’ Kang the Conqueror.

Majors shared that he was “heartbroken” by the casting decision on Tuesday, shortly after Downey revealed that he could be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe at San Diego Comic Con 2024 on July 27. Majors was set to play Kang in 2026’s “Avengers: The Avengers,” but Marvel decided to shelve the project and rename it “Avengers: Doomsday” after Majors was convicted of assault last 12 months, in accordance with People.

“Yeah, heartbreak,” Majors told TMZ when asked how he felt about losing the Avengers villain role to Downey. “Yeah, of course. I love him. I love Kang.”

Majors continued by saying he would really like to see Kang’s role return at some point, adding, “If that’s what the fans want, if that’s what Marvel wants, then let’s do it.”

Majors first appeared as Kang the Conqueror within the Disney+ series “Loki” and 2023’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” The actor’s profession was severely jeopardized after he was found guilty of assaulting ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari. Majors was sentenced to a 12 months of domestic violence counseling in April 2023.

In June, he landed his first film role since his conviction. The “Creed III” actor will star within the upcoming thriller “Merciless,” in accordance with Diversity. Martin Villeneuve, who will direct the film, has confirmed Majors’ casting, the publication reports. In “Merciless,” a CIA investigator known as into motion after the lady he’s in love with is overcome by a malevolent influence.

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Producer Christopher Tuffin defended Majors’ casting in an announcement, saying he “will not allow public opinion and selective prosecution to undermine great art and artists.”

Tuffin said that in graduate school he learned “about the dangers of allowing politics to undermine due process and deprive artists of their careers.”

“I consider it an honor and a privilege to work with such a talented individual now that this matter has been resolved,” Tuffin said of Majors.