Jonathan Majors is an American actor born in 1989 in California. Recently, he began to gain a lot of prominence in film and television, landing several important roles in highly regarded productions. Now, he is also part of the vast Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing Kang who is rumored to be the MCU's next big villain, similarly to Thanos.
As a teenager, Majors went through various struggles, even living in his own car in order to survive, as reported by Essence. However, he soon found himself in the theater and has since brought his enormous talent to the world. Currently, Majors is training for and filming the upcoming Creed III, which will see him star alongside Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone. Additionally, following his introduction in Loki, Majors' next MCU project is Paul Rudd's Marvel sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Until then, here's a look at his best performances so far, ranked.
7 Da 5 Bloods
In 2020, Jonathan Majors got the opportunity to act for one of the greatest filmmakers of our generation, Spike Lee. He joined the cast of Da 5 Bloods, which follows the story of a group of friends who must return to Vietnam to dig up a treasure they left there during the war. In the film, Majors plays David, the son of Paul (Delroy Lindo). The two have a stormy relationship, but over time, they come to value each other more. After Paul dies, David returns home to find a letter from his father, which strengthens the bond between the two.
6 When We Rise
Although he started acting in 2011, Majors hadn't secured many major roles. He made a telefilm in 2013, but only returned to the screens in 2017, this time in the miniseries When We Rise, which aired on ABC and had eight episodes. The series focuses on the history of the struggle for LGBTQIA+ rights in the United States, following the lives of various activists for the cause. Majors plays Ken Jones, a New Jersey activist, a figure important to the LGBTQ+ struggle in the US Black community. Interestingly, Majors plays the "young" version of the character, while the adult Ken Jones is played by Michael K. Williams (Williams played the father of Majors' character in Lovecraft Country, years later).
5 The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Jonathan Majors' first big movie success came with the drama The Last Black Man in San Francisco. Here, the audience follows a young man named Jimmy Fails, who needs to win back the house he lived in throughout his childhood (now turned into a Victorian mansion due to gentrification in San Francisco). For this, he has the help of a good friend, Montgomery Allen (Majors). This was the role that gave the actor the greatest projection, being nominated for several awards and generating a high demand for him to be part of subsequent projects. The film was produced by Brad Pitt, but had its funding campaign started on Kickstarter, per EW.
4 Captive State
2019 was indeed a great year for Majors' career as he participated in many different projects. Among them, we have Captive State, a science fiction and action feature directed by Rupert Wyatt (who also helmed Rise of the Planet of the Apes). The plot sees humanity who must rebel against a race of alien invaders. The film follows the story of Gabriel Drummond (Ashton Sanders), a boy living in the poorest part of Chicago, who needs to find his brother Rafe (Majors), the leader of the resistance against alien forces. Unfortunately, the film was a box office failure, but it explores interesting themes that deserve to be praised.
3 Jungleland
Although he is best known for his good-guy attitude, Jonathan Majors has played several villains throughout his career. A good example of this is the drama Jungleland, about the story of two brothers who have to live in the underworld of clandestine struggles. The film stars Jack O'Connell, Charlie Hunnam, and Jessica Barden. In the film, Majors plays Pepper, a local gangster. Stanley (Hunnam) owes him money, and he has to put up more and more fights to get the money. This debt creates a real catastrophe in the brothers' lives, as they go through inhumane situations to find a better future.
2 Lovecraft Country
Recently, in 2020, Majors landed another high-profile role in the TV series Lovecraft Country, which aired on HBO and was based on the eponymous book by Matt Ruff. In the series, Majors plays a man named Atticus Freeman, who has just returned from the Korean War and must set out in search of his missing father. Despite carrying "Lovecraft" in the title, the series does not delve into the author's mythology, but tries to develop more of the cosmic horror through a new perspective. Atticus plays an important role, as he is a direct descendant of a powerful wizard, but he is a renegade from the society of the Children of Adam because he is Black. From there, he must fight to conquer what is rightfully his.
1 Loki
To the surprise of many, the actor has also just appeared in the finale of the first season of Loki, one of last year's highest-rated MCU Disney+ series. Majors plays the One Who Remains, the big mysterious villain behind the TVA. He's a very interesting figure who, as it turns out, created the main timeline of the MCU. However, it's later revealed that he's also just a Variant of another character that will be important in the future of Marvel: Kang the Conqueror. And judging by the end of Loki's first season, that version of the villain is expected to return in the second season of the series, before appearing in other films in the franchise.