Four years after his last film shoot, the wait for Jonathan Majors‘ movie return is officially over. This week in South Carolina, cameras began rolling on an untitled action feature that marks a massive departure from the Hollywood studio system that once championed the actor.
According to Deadline, in a move that has sent shockwaves through the industry, the former rising star has partnered with the conservative media powerhouse The Daily Wire and Bonfire Legend to lead an action-packed “re-emergence” project. The collaboration signifies a pivotal moment in the 36-year-old’s attempt to rebuild a career that was once on a fast track to the A-list before a high-profile 2023 conviction for misdemeanor assault and harassment.
Deadline also reported that Majors’ movie is being directed by Kyle Rankin, who is the filmmaker behind the controversial Run Hide Fight. He also penned the screenplay. While the specific plot details and official title are currently under wraps, the production is described as being in the vein of classic 1980s and ’90s action cinema like Red Dawn and Toy Soldiers. Those films famously centered on groups of young men coming together against invading enemies, suggesting that Majors will be taking on a physically demanding, leadership-driven role. This role is seemingly a far cry from the multiverse of the MCU, where he was previously slated to anchor the franchise as the supervillain Kang the Conqueror.
Who Is Producing Jonathan Majors’ Movie?
The Daily Wire, co-founded by Ben Shapiro, has increasingly become a sanctuary for actors who have found themselves on the outskirts of traditional Hollywood due to various controversies. By casting Majors, the company continues its trend of reviving careers, having previously offered comeback vehicles to Gina Carano and Armie Hammer.
Shapiro took to social media to tease the project shortly after production began, posting, “You’re not going to BELIEVE what we’re doing.”
Beyond the screen, Majors’ movie shoot in South Carolina represents the first time he has been on a film set since his 2023 arrest and conviction for assaulting his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. Since his sentencing in April 2024, which included a 52-week domestic violence intervention program, Majors has been largely absent from the public eye.
His bodybuilding drama, Magazine Dreams, which many predicted would be an Oscar contender, was eventually dropped by Searchlight Pictures before finally being released by Briarcliff Entertainment in early 2025. This new project, alongside the upcoming supernatural thriller Merciless, serves as a two-pronged strategy to remind audiences of his range and bankability.
While the pivot to a right-wing production company may alienate some of his former collaborators in the mainstream studio system, those close to the production suggest that Majors is singularly focused on the work. He is also serving as an executive producer via his company, Tall Street Productions.
As the film industry watches this experiment in “anti-cancel culture” filmmaking unfold, the question remains whether this move will be the first step in a broader redemption arc or if Majors’ movie career will find a permanent home outside the traditional Hollywood boundaries.
