Jonathan Majors has landed his first film role since he was convicted in 2023 of domestic assault and fired from Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. He will star in the independent revenge thriller “Merciless,” to be directed by Martin Villeneuve.
Martin Villeneuve, the younger brother of “Dune” filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, confirmed the news of Majors’ casting to Variety. Written by Frank Hannah, the film follows a CIA investigator who goes to troubling lengths after the woman he loves is overpowered by sinister forces. It’s expected to be filmed in Saskatchewan in late fall.
Majors was sentenced in April to one year of domestic violence counseling after he was found guilty of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend. Per the Manhattan judge who presided over the two-week trial, Majors must complete a 52-week in-person program in Los Angeles. So, it’s unclear how it will overlap with the shooting schedule for “Merciless.”
Throughout his publicized trial, Majors denied the assault allegations and maintained a desire to resume his career in Hollywood. His star had been on the rise before he was arrested in March 2023, having appeared in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “Creed III,” as well as the Emmy-winning “Lovecraft Country.”
Shortly after the guilty verdict, though, Marvel Studios severed ties with Majors, who played the central villain, Kang the Conqueror, in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. The 34-year-old actor was expected to appear in upcoming installments in the comic book franchise, including 2026’s “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” As part of the fallout, Majors was dropped by his manager, Entertainment 360, and his publicity firm, the Lede Company. He remains repped by the talent agency WME.
“Merciless” is being developed at Sentient by producer Christopher Tuffin, who backed last year’s box office sleeper hit “Sound of Freedom.” He plans to start a new media venture that “refuses to let the court of public opinion and selective prosecution undermine great art and artists.”
“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 said in a statement. “I consider it an honor and a privilege to be working with such a great talent now that this matter has been adjudicated.”
Tuffin will produce alongside Kevin Townsend and Kevin DeWalt. Amanda Delaplaine, Chris Ochs, Andrew Bates and Ben DeWalt will executive produce.
Deadline was the first to report on Majors’ casting.
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