Marvel Just Fired Jonathan Majors. My Thoughts.

I was saddened to hear about this verdict. I really admire Jonathan Majors; he is my favorite upcoming star on the horizon, and his fall from grace was like a whiplash. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, and his acting skills were what made him so attractive to me. Can one overcome an already tarnished public image? Bad publicity exists.

The first time I saw him in 'Lovecraft Country,' I thought he was incredible. When he portrayed Kang the Conqueror in Marvel's 'Loki' and appeared in the finale for Season 1 playing such an interesting character, I was amazed by his skills. Watching him in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' was further proof that this villain would stick, and what a cool idea to have countless versions of him, all of them interesting and unpredictable because of Jonathan Majors' acting.

Then he just exploded in 'Loki' Season 2. I must admit that until the last two episodes of the season, I was feeling the Marvel fatigue; I mean, the quality for me personally started to decline with 'Multiverse of Madness' and from there, with some peaks ('Guardian of the Galaxy Vol.3,' 'Black Panther Wakanda Forever'), of course, there were and a lot of bumps in the road. The finale of 'Loki' Season 2 was incredible, and the coverage by Grace Randolph (Beyond the Trailer) got me thinking deeper into his character – Kang the Conqueror. I didn’t know him from the comics; actually, I started reading comics because of the drop in interest that I had in Marvel's cinema and TV projects. Comics kind of restored my faith, but still, I haven’t read a comic with Majors' character Kang. His multi-layered portrayal of the big bad for this phase was the first touchpoint for me, and it was simply incredible.

Now I realize what he is convicted of is bad, but I believe in separating the art from the artist in most cases. This one, especially, I guess it depends a lot on context. Some say Kang was not catching up with the general audience, but he was definitely working for me. I was so excited to see other forms and Majors playing with them. I guess I know how the fans of Johnny Depp are feeling. I am kind of one of them, but I never got to like the guy or to think about him more than this, yet Depp has a huge following and kind of came back after conviction. I am open for second chances. Let's be honest, we are all in the mud, and most, if not all, have done something/s that we are not fond of. I have some dirt, and I try to do everything step by step to change myself into something better. I am not saying that I have ever reached this level, but there are some behaviors of mine that have hurt some people through the ages, especially those closest to me. I am often reminded just before I sleep of my cringe, and helping me move on is the process of changing my behavior and working on myself, as well as going on an apology tour to make things clear. We are all a work in progress, and denying the possibility of that work is not helping mankind.

I really hope he comes back from this because, even though Marvel fired him today, everybody loves redemption and a comeback story. I know we are yet to see a truly one from Johnny Depp, but I would expect the same from Majors. I really want to see his last (I think) movie, 'Magazine Dreams,' and I hope someone other than our favorite family brand 'Disney' distributes it. There were talks that this is his major role that could get him an Oscar nomination, and as a cinephile, I was expecting this performance.

What about his ex-girlfriend? I hope the trolls don't go after her. I can only imagine being involved in such a public freak show. Sometimes relationships just don't work out, and some stuff that is supposed to be private comes out. In this case, I hope both can get over this public humiliation and go forward, turning this experience into something worthwhile and meaningful.

And why am I writing about this? I found a way to process my thoughts and, in that way, clear out my mind. By confronting my emotions and thoughts and working on them, the result is sobering. It really feels like I am analyzing my mind and gaining control over this mess. Writing about everything seems to help.

Iliya Badev