Anthony Mackie has responded to the abuse allegations facing fellow Marvel star Jonathan Majors.
Majors, who plays the villain Kang in the popular MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) film franchise, was arrested on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment over an alleged incident involving an ex-partner.
The Creed III star, 33, has maintained his innocence, with his lawyers alleging in a statement: “Jonathan Majors is innocent and has not abused anyone. We have provided irrefutable evidence to the District Attorney that the charges are false. We are confident that he will be fully exonerated.”
After news of the allegations broke, Majors was dropped by his management team, while the US Army pulled a number of advertisements featuring the actor from circulation. He was also reportedly dropped from a forthcoming adaptation of the Walter Mosley novel The Man in My Basement.
After first playing Kang in the 2021 Marvel series Loki, and reprising the role in this year’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Majors had been lined up as the main franchise villain throughout the next few years, culminating in a two-film arc in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Mackie, 44, became the first MCU actor to comment on the allegations surrounding Majors in an interview with Inverse this week.
Asked about Majors’s future involvment in the MCU, the Captain America star responded: “We’re a country that was built on ‘everyone is innocent until proven guilty.’ That’s one of the staples of this country.
“Nothing has been proven about this dude. Nothing. So everyone is innocent until proven guilty. That’s all I can say. It’s crazy where we are as a society. But as a country, everyone is innocent until proven guilty.”
Jonathan Majors— (Getty Images)
Mackie’s quotes prompted some criticism on social media, with many questioning the actor’s choice of words.
“He [probably] should’ve said something like, ‘I don’t know the full details on whether the allegations were true, so I don’t think I should comment on the situation’,” one person suggested.
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“There’s definitely a lot of stuff we don’t know about this situation it’s a bit nuts but ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ only applies to the justice system and the legal process,” wrote another.
Majors is expected to return to court in New York on 3 August for trial. He has reportedly filed a complaint against his accuser, alleging that it was he who was the victim of abuse at her hands.
In April, Variety reported that multiple other women were co-operating with the Manhattan District Attorney, alleging other instances of abuse by Majors.
Mackie has played the role of Sam Wilson – now Captain America – in several MCU films and TV series.
The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the Refuge website. There is a dedicated men’s advice line on 0808 8010 327. Those in the US can call the domestic violence hotline on 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org
