It's controversial/ Marvel's Avengers The Kang Dynasty to be retitled after Jonathan Majors found guilty of assault

Jonathan Majors was convicted on Monday of assaulting his ex-girlfriend after a trial that he hoped would vindicate him and restore his status as an emerging Hollywood star. It did just the opposite: Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Co. dropped him hours after the verdict. Amid this, the highly anticipated Avengers: The Kang Dynasty has undergone a significant transformation.

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty's title changed

Following the actor's dismissal, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the highly anticipated Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is now referred to as simply Avengers 5, hinting at a departure from the Kang-centric narrative.

Amid the upheaval, Loki series creator Michael Waldron stepped in to rewrite the screenplay for Avengers 5. Waldron, already attached to Avengers: Secret Wars, is now tasked with penning both scripts. The creative shakeup didn't stop there, as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton exited Avengers 5 to focus on other MCU projects.

With plot details under wraps, it's unclear how Kang's absence will impact the narrative of Avengers 5. The film was initially poised to explore the multiverse, and reports suggest that Marvel Studios may be considering Doctor Doom as a potential antagonist. The Kang Dynasty's title drop leaves fans speculating on who will fill the void as the primary antagonist in the upcoming Avengers installment.

Originally slated for a May 2, 2025 release, Avengers 5 faced a previous delay and was rescheduled for May 1, 2026.

What do we know about the Jonathan Majors assault case?

The charges stemmed from a dispute between the Creed III actor and his girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, that began in the backseat of a chauffeured car and spilled into the streets of Manhattan one night last March.

Jabbari, a 30-year-old British dancer, accused Majors of an attack inside the vehicle that left her in “excruciating” pain. She said he struck her in the head with his open hand, twisted her arm behind her back and squeezed her middle finger until it fractured.

Majors' lawyers said she was the aggressor, alleging that she flew into a jealous rage after reading a text message on his phone sent by another woman. They said Jabbari had spread a “fantasy” to take down the actor, who was only trying to regain his phone and get away safely.

The verdict dealt a major blow to Majors, who was on the verge of Hollywood stardom until his arrest in March sent his career into a tailspin.

(Inputs from AP)