Doctor Doom replaces Kang as Avengers' adversary - Jonathan Majors sad about the exchange
The announcement that Robert Downey Jr. (59) will celebrate his comeback in the Marvel universe as the villain Doctor Doom caused a stir at the Comic Con in San Diego and soon after around the globe. However, the joy of many is the sorrow of one particular person: actor Jonathan Majors (34) was originally set to be the new villain in the upcoming Avengers films. His character Kang was already established as the upcoming supervillain in the series "Loki" and the film "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania". However, a conviction for domestic violence overshadowed Majors' rising career and his Marvel future. When asked about the apparent nonchalant replacement by Downey Jr., Majors expressed disappointment to the gossip site "TMZ".
"My heart is broken," Majors insists. However, not because of the news that Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU. Rather, he mourns his character independently: "I love him. I love Kang. [...] Doctor Doom is also great!" the actor diplomatically concedes.
In December 2023, he was found guilty by a jury of bodily harm and harassment of his ex-girlfriend. The fact that the disgraced Majors is being replaced by Downey Jr. is not without a certain irony. After all, the now Oscar-winning star was once considered a bad boy of Hollywood and even served a prison sentence - unlike Majors.
In 1999, Downey Jr. was sentenced to three years in prison for drug offenses and violations of his probation. He served one year before being released on new probation terms. He made the most of his second chance: he is now one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood and won his first Academy Award in 2024 for his role in "Oppenheimer".
When asked about this, Majors expressed hope to "TMZ" that he too would be forgiven in Hollywood. Regarding a possible return to the MCU as Kang, he says, "If that's what the fans want. If that's what Marvel wants... let's do it."
The first of the two upcoming films with Downey Jr. will be called "Avengers: Doomsday", and the second film with the former Iron Man actor will be called "Avengers: Secret Wars". It is expected that the planned release dates will be maintained, so "Avengers 5" is expected to hit German cinemas on April 29, 2026, followed by "Avengers 6" about a year later on May 5, 2027.
Despite his conviction, Jonathan Majors expresses a desire for redemption in Hollywood, similar to how Robert Downey Jr. managed to recover from his past issues with drug offenses and prison sentencing. Interestingly, the 'other' actor is being replaced by the 'other' iconic character, as Downey Jr. takes over the role of Doctor Doom.
