Disney has removed Jonathan Majors' latest movie from its slate in the midst of the actor's ongoing assault trial.
Majors spent much of 2023 in the headlines after the rising star was arrested for alleged assault in late March.
The actor's legal troubles come as he is being primed as the next Avengers-level big bad in the MCU, Kang the Conqueror.
While this ongoing investigation did not affect Majors' appearance in the currently-airing Loki Disney+ series the same cannot be said for the rest of the actor's upcoming work (having already lost a role because of the allegations).
Jonathan Majors Movie Delayed
Jonathan Majors' next movie has been removed from the Disney slate amid the actor's ongoing legal troubles.
A new press release from Disenpublished revealed the Majors-led drama Magazine Dreams' release date "is now Unset:"
"'MAGAZINE DREAMS' (Searchlight) previously dated on 12/8/23 is now Unset"
While the actors' strike in Hollywood is likely the reason for some of Disney's other delays (Snow White and Pixar's Elio), it is widely assumed the indefinite Magazine Dreams move had more to do with the actor's assault trial than anything.
Magazine Dreams - which tells the story of aspiring bodybuilder Killian Maddox - was initially set to debut in theaters on December 8.
This all comes despite Disney previously confirming a December release earlier in the process of Majors' investigation.
The film was picked up by Disney subsidiary Searchlight Pictures out of the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023, where it received rave reviews from critics in attendance.
Disney's Major Jonathan Majors Problem
As Jonathan Majors stands trial and awaits a verdict, the actor's legal issues put Disney (and the other studios working with him) in a precarious position.
Not only is the actor being set up to be a major part of the studio's super-powered efforts in the MCU going forward, but - with a film like Magazine Dreams - he was also supposed to bolster the Hollywood giant's name with potential awards glory.
According to reviews for the body-building drama, Magazine Dreams features a "brilliant performance" from Majors (via Variety). His acting in the movie is supposedly the kind of full-bodied tour de force that warrants awards attention.
Surely, that was in the line of thinking when Searchlight (and in turn Disney) picked up the movie out of Sundance.
This movie was primed for an Oscars campaign, and that December 8 release date reflects that. However, the studio now has to sit on its hands when it comes to a movie that would have almost surely gotten a major awards push.
Disney bought major stock in Jonathan Majors and Magazine Dreams, and - at the time - it looked like a pretty good bet. Less than half a year later though, the studio's significant Majors investment may have been for naught.
It is currently unknown when Magazine Dreams will come to theaters.
