On Monday, a Manhattan jury found Hollywood star Jonathan Majors guilty of reckless assault in the third degree and guilty of harassment.
However, many social media users believe his conviction to be unfair—and are invoking Robert Downey Jr.’s rocky past to make their point.
Majors was accused by his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, of physically assaulting her on the night of March 25. That night, it was Majors who called 911, stating that he found Jabbari unconscious in their apartment. However, when law enforcement showed up at the apartment, Jabbari was found with several injuries, including a laceration behind her ear and a bruised and fractured finger.
Jonathan Majors Found Guilty of Assaulting Ex-girlfriend https://t.co/qkrz7EMg1V
— TheHub.news (@TheHub_news) December 18, 2023
After a highly public trial, in which leaked text messages appeared to show that the March incident was not the first physical altercation between the former couple, Majors’ career hung in the balance.
Disney had already lined up the “Kang the Conqueror” actor as their next superstar. Although Kang the Conqueror was defeated in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, many multiversal variants opened the door for Majors to star in virtually any Marvel movie or television series. Nevertheless, after the guilty verdict was announced, Marvel Studios quickly announced the decision to cut ties with Majors once and for all—snatching away any dreams Majors had of making a positive impact for his “culture and for the world.”
It’s kinda crazy when you think about it because just google Robert Downey Jr. right before the first iron man in 08 https://t.co/0IlQn6z4fP
— Ardell “A.D.” Wright (@ardellwrightnow) December 19, 2023
On social media, fans quickly compared Majors’ conviction and the seeming end of his career to that of Downey Jr— asking how he landed the role of “Iron Man” and questioning why Marvel is turning their back on Majors in his hour of need.
Industry veteran Naima Cochrane quickly hopped on X (formerly Twitter) to shoot down the comparisons.
“I’ve seen some comparisons to Robert Downey Jr & Marvel vs Jonathan Majors… and I get it, but a better comparison is probably Ezra Miller and The Flash, but that’s DC. I think some ppl forget RDJ a. Went to jail for 3 years, b. Had a huge professional drought, and c. Iron Man was his come back,” Cochrane begins.
I've seen some comparisons to Robert Downey Jr & Marvel vs Jonathan Majors… and I get it, but a better comparison is probably Ezra Miller and The Flash, but that's DC. I think some ppl forget RDJ a. Went to jail for 3 years, b. Had a huge professional drought, and c. Iron Man…
— Naima Cochrane (@naima) December 19, 2023
She’s not wrong.
In the early 90s, Downey Jr. had the world eating out of the palm of his hand after starring in the 1992 biopic “Chaplin.” Downey’s titular performance earned him the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. He also received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama.
Like Majors, Downey Jr. was headed for global superstardom, but that all came crashing down after his struggles with heroin and crack cocaine addiction led to multiple arrests and numerous stints in rehab facilities. After skipping a court-ordered drug test and spending nearly four months in the Los Angeles County jail, Downey Jr. then missed another drug test and was sentenced to three years of prison in 1999, serving 15 months in state prison in Corcoran, California.
It would be years before Downey Jr. would be accepted back into Hollywood. He was shunned and blackballed for the best part of a decade.
“Iron Man was RDJ’s chapter 2. But he had to wait for it,” Cochrane tweets. “Check his IMDB. That joint look like a patchy beard from 99 – 08.”
The thread sparked debate but as one of Cochrane’s followers stated, “Downey also didn’t really harm anyone but himself. He was an addict and did stupid and criminal things but he didn’t abuse anyone,” earning him a cosign from the thread’s author.
Also that part. https://t.co/VWJWFBJr4c
— Naima Cochrane (@naima) December 19, 2023
Majors faces up to a year in jail for his crimes. On Feb. 6, a judge will hand down his sentence in court.
Majors faces an uphill battle if back into Hollywood’s (and the public’s) good graces. But, if anything, the Downey Jr. comparisons only prove that the Kang star can one day conquer his seemingly canceled career.
