The trailer for Loki season two does its best to divert your attention away from the allegations against star Jonathan Majors by introducing new characters and plotlines, while emphasizing the inclusion of new cast member Ke Huy Quan, who – unlike Majors – has no history of assault charges.
The Disney-owned Marvel show has been dogged by controversy since the first season, with Majors facing charges of strangulation, assault, and harassment.
Despite the charges against Majors and his subsequent dismissal from his PR agency and talent manager, the actor is still reprising his role as Kang in Loki, which is set to premiere on Disney+ later this month. The first season’s finale and the post-credits scene of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania both teased Majors’ return, but the allegations against him have dogged his second season.
Showrunner Confirms Majors' Return
In a new interview with Vulture, showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich explains that Majors’ return was always part of the plan, and that he’ll be in approximately “half the episodes in some capacity.” However, his role will be downplayed in comparison to the first season, and he’ll only appear in “a lot of the background shots” and “some of the establishing shots.”
Majors’ trial is scheduled for August 3, but Hissrich told Vulture, “I think we have to see what happens with that in terms of what we do moving forward.” The actor’s return to Loki was confirmed before the charges against him were made public, but he was dropped by his PR agency and talent manager soon after. If convicted, Majors’ incarceration would disrupt Disney’s plans for the Marvel Cinematic Universe – but the company has shown a reluctance to recast stars in the past, preferring to wait until their contract ends rather than replacing them mid-way through.
Hissrich also tells Vulture that she’s “not concerned about the future of the show,” and that she believes “it’s a good show and it has a lot of fans and it’s a good platform for actors.” However, I’m not sure why she’s concerned about the future of the show, given that Loki is a Marvel property and thus part of the MCU.
The MCU has proven remarkably impervious to scandals (see; James Gunn, Jeremy Renner, and even Kevin Feige) but if Majors is convicted it would represent a disruption to the plans of Disney and Marvel. Of course, the company has previously downplayed abuse allegations, as seen in the case of Jeremy Renner, who was allowed to continue being part of the MCU despite being accused of physical abuse and threatening his ex-wife.
Ultimately, Disney has the power to shape the narratives surrounding its stars, and it often prioritizes financial success over addressing abuse allegations. However, the company has been forced to reckon with its complicity in covering up abuse in the past, as seen in the case of director Victor Salva, who made his name with the Jeepers Creepers franchise.
The author of the Vulture piece concludes, “I don’t care about Marvel’s success, and I don’t think anyone should. But we should all learn not to reward abusers with fame and fortune. We should stop turning a blind eye to their crimes. We should stop letting them hide in plain sight.” I don’t share their lack of concern for Marvel’s success (who doesn’t want to see Loki and the Scarlet Witch spinoff happen?), but I do believe that we should recognize Disney’s profit-driven priorities when it comes to its stars, and hope that if Majors is convicted it will mark the end of Marvel’s reign.
