2023 is truly the year of Jonathan Majors. In a matter of months, the actor will star in two of the biggest releases of the year, as both the villain Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and as Michael B. Jordan's great adversary in Creed 3. This is more than irrevocable proof of the great moment in the star's career.
And it is obvious that he did not become the new threat in Marvel's Cinematic Universe (MCU) overnight, nor did he join the Rocky franchise without a long road of great work. But still, there is a good portion of the public who don't know him or have no idea what he is capable of delivering in acting.
If this is your case, don't feel bad. Although he already has some successes on his resume, they are all quite recent, and Majors has only emerged as such a phenomenon in the last few years - so it is only natural that some of these titles have passed many people by.
5. Gully
Don't let the name fool you: The Gang is much less about gang fights and the like and much more a drama about social issues in the United States. That's why you can expect a very emotional performance from Jonathan Majors, even if he doesn't play the lead role.
The plot centers on three young people who live on the outskirts of Los Angeles and suffer the marks of marginalization. Accustomed to this life with no prospects and full of abuse, the only thing they have is this friendship. The problem is that when they decide to leave their problems aside, they are swallowed by violence and the consequences are not long in coming.
It is in this context that Majors comes to the fore as the voice of conscience for these young people about to disgrace their lives.
4. Loki
It is no longer a spoiler to say that Jonathan Majors appears as Kang in Loki when that is the starting point of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It was in the MCU series that many people got to know the work of the actor, who arrived not exactly bringing to life the new villain of the Multiverse Saga, but one of its variants.
In the series, Majors plays He Who Remains, a version of the Temporal Despot who maintains a kind of stability of the timelines. Like a kind of Wizard of Oz, he is the big mysterious figure that is hinted at throughout the season and is discovered in the last episode to explain the size of the problem that lies ahead.
And the actor steals the scene right from the start by bringing in this protovillain not as a scary or threatening figure like Thanos. In fact, he is even entertaining in his speech and charisma - which already denotes a different kind of danger.
4. The Harder They Fall
With Jonathan Majors in the leading role, Vengeance and Punishment is a renewal of the western, a genre that had been quite forgotten in Hollywood. And it comes with a different take on the old classics, betting mainly on the power of its stars to tell an excellent revenge story - as the title gives it away.
And our hero is, in fact, a bandit who gathers his gang to defeat another criminal - played by Idris Elba - who has just been released from jail. So, throughout the story, we will better understand this feud and the plots that connect each of the characters.
3. Devotion
Brothers of Honor just came out of theaters, so it's a warm movie that you can check out Jonathan Majors living a true story. The plot centers on Jesse Brown, the first black pilot in the US Navy who must face prejudice within his own institution and prove his worth on the battlefield in the Korean War.
Only the film is much less about the racial issue - although it is still very much present - and much more about the hero's friendship with his fellow pilot, played here by Glen Powell.
2. Lovecraft Country
Another series that put Major in the spotlight was Lovecraft Country, one of HBO's big bets to be the new Game of Thrones. The series didn't become the success the network had hoped for and was canceled in the first season, but it is far from bad. In fact, it is surprisingly good, even if it is a bit of a mess.
The actor plays a Korean War veteran who returns to the United States to try to find his missing father again. So, together with his uncle and cousin, he sets off on a journey through the interior of the country in the midst of the harshest period of racial segregation. Only, in addition to the prejudice, they will find a hidden and mystical side just as terrifying.
And before you ask: no, the series is not an adaptation of any H.P. Lovecraft work, but of another book that uses the author's mythology (and racism) to build a new story.
1. Da 5 Bloods
Directed by Spike Lee, Detachment Blood tells the story of a group of four black veterans who return to Vietnam decades after the end of the war to recover the remains of a comrade who was left behind - as well as a treasure they helped hide.
In addition to Jonathan Majors himself, the film is also notable for being the last project of Chadwick Boseman, who died of complications from cancer in 2020.
Share your thoughts!
Be the first to start the conversation.