Many Marvel stars may have been blessed with superpowers on screen, but some have proven to be far from heroic in real life. This week, it was discovered that Kang actor Jonathan Majors has been dropped by the franchise after being convicted of a violent attack on his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari in March 2022.
The 34-year-old, who starred in Ant-Man Wasp: Quantumania this year, was set to appear as the Marvel villain in several upcoming movies including Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. However, he was found guilty of assaulting the British choreographer in a row over text messages from another woman. He twisted her arm behind her back, hit her in the head, and threatened to kill himself if she went to the hospital to have her injuries treated.
Zara Phythian, who starred in the 2016 film Doctor Strange alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, was convicted of sexually abusing a teenager over the course of three years. She and her husband Victor Marke were found guilty of the horrific abuse, which began when the girl was 13.
Mollie Fitzgerald, who appeared as Stark Girl in the 2011 Marvel movie Captain America: The First Avenger, was arrested for allegedly murdering her own mom in 2019. She was found to have stabbed her mother to death in their Kansas home.
Iron Man actor Terrence Howard has a history of assault claims against him, including attacking his estranged first wife Lori McCommas and physically assaulting his ex-wife Michelle Ghent.
Another Marvel star, Nick Nolte, was famously arrested in 2002 for driving under the influence of GHB. In his 2018 memoir, he admitted to taking GHB prior to going to the gym for a long workout. He was driving to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting when he was arrested.
Wesley Snipes, who starred as Blade in the 1998 movie, was sentenced to three years behind bars for failing to file tax returns at the peak of his Hollywood career.
Most recently, Barry Keoghan, who appeared in the 2021 Marvel movie The Eternals, was reportedly arrested for drunken behavior in Dublin.
These cases illustrate that off-screen crimes and scandals have plagued the multi-billion dollar Marvel franchise. It’s a reminder that real life can be far from heroic for some of the actors who bring these superheroes to life.