The producer of the Marvel TV series Loki has explained the decision to keep Jonathan Majors in the show after his arrest for assault and harassment.
Majors was charged with assault and harassment in March this year after allegedly attacking his then-girlfriend in New York. Majors has denied the claim, and accused the woman of attacking him.
After numerous delays, Majors’ trial is set to begin on 25 October.
But first, Majors, 34, is reprising his role as a new variant of villain Kang the Conqueror in the second series of the Disney+ superhero show Loki, alongside Tom Hiddleston’s trickster god.
The show’s executive producer Kevin Wright has spoken about his reasons for keeping Majors in the series, which completed filming months before Majors’ arrest.
When asked by Variety whether there were any discussion about making changes to Loki, given the uncertainty about what was happening with Majors, he said: “No. And that mainly came from – I know as much as you do at the moment. It felt hasty to do anything without knowing how all of this plays out.”
He told the publication that “the story that is on screen is the story we set out to make”.
After Majors’ arrest, the US army pulled its recruitment ads starring the actor, saying that it was “deeply concerned by the allegations”.
However, he is tipped to have a major role in Marvel Studios’ upcoming slate, which includes Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Majors also has a role in bodybuilding drama Magazine Dreams, out later this year.
Jonathan Majors— (Getty Images)
In other Loki news, Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once star Ke Huy Quan is joining the cast of the show, as a quirky repairman.
“His job is basically every piece of tech, every computer, every thing that is running at the TVA [the show’s mysterious Time Variance Authority],” Wright told EW. “He either designed it, or he fixes it and keeps it running.”
Flowers star Sophia Di Martino will also reprise her role as Sylvie, and romcom king Owen Wilson will return as Mobius.
Loki season two will premiere on Disney+ in the UK on 6 October.
