Credit: Marvel StudiosControversial Marvel actor Jonathan Majors received a huge victory on the second day of his assault trial before a jury has even been selected.
Jonathan Majors went to trial today in New York City over misdemeanor charges stemming from an incident earlier this year when he was arrested on charges of assault, strangulation, and harassment against his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. The trial has been delayed several times and became a divisive issue in culture, particularly as Majors was considered a swiftly rising star in Hollywood prior to the allegations of domestic violence.
The actor first broke out to audiences and critics with the indie drama The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019) and swiftly moved on to larger projects. Jonathan Majors starred in the much-promoted HBO supernatural thriller series Lovecraft Country as well as the Netflix western The Harder They Fall (2021).
His biggest role came when Marvel Studios cast him as Kang the Conqueror, the multiversal figure that was intended to serve as the main antagonist of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next saga of films. Jonathan Majors debuted as a Variant of Kang in the first season of the acclaimed Disney+ series Loki and followed it up with a more substantive role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, one of the more underperforming installments of the franchise. He also appeared in Loki season 2, to mixed reviews.
Jonathan Majors appeared alongside fellow Marvel star Michael B. Jordan in Creed III and in the now-shelved drama Magazine Dreams and is currently expected to return as various versions of his MCU character in the upcoming movies Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.
However, it has been hotly speculated that Marvel Studios is looking to either recast Kang for future movies or to rewrite upcoming storylines to diminish the character’s centrality, depending on the outcome of the ongoing trial, which is currently at the jury selection stage.
Jonathan Majors has pled not guilty in his assault trial, which deals with an incident in which the Marvel star allegedly attacked Grace Jabbari, who “sustained minor injuries to her head and neck and was removed to an area hospital in stable condition,” according to the New York City Police Department. Majors was arrested and released the same day, and his primary lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, vehemently denied all charges and allegations in the months leading to the trial.
Grace Jabbari was arrested via desk appearance charges in October when Jonathan Majors filed a domestic violence counter-complaint against her. Jabbari was arrested some seven months after the incident on charges of assault and criminal mischief.
The New York District Attorney’s office stated that it would not be prosecuting her and her lawyer issued a statement, saying “We are disappointed that Ms. Jabbari had to face an arrest that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office already determined was unwarranted. The DA’s Office carefully reviewed all the facts of the case and concluded that Ms. Jabbari was the victim, and not the perpetrator.”
Related: Marvel Speaks Out on Tom Hiddleston Replacing Jonathan Majors Two Weeks Before Assault Trial
Now, there has been a new wrinkle in the trial during jury selection. Judge Michael Gaffey has ruled that Grace Jabbari’s arrest will be allowed as evidence to the jury, while at the same time sealing potentially “prejudicial and inflammatory” against Jonathan Majors, keeping it out of the eyes of the jury and the public (per Deadline).
The process of jury selection for the trial is still ongoing, so it will remain to be seen what affect this may have on the outcome. At the very least, it seems probable that this is a huge advantage for Jonathan Majors in the trial, given that evidence against him (reportedly about other domestic violence accusations, among other allegations) has been sealed, and Grace Jabbari’s arrest will undoubtedly become part of his defense.
Inside the Magic will continue to update readers with new developments in the Jonathan Majors trial.