Jonathan Majors is back in the spotlight with his new film Infidels, but this time it's for all the wrong reasons. The action-thriller has sparked outrage and comparisons to the satirical superhero series The Boys due to its anti-Islam narrative, which feels like a cheap shot at best.
The plot centres around a college campus overrun by 'radical Islamic terrorists', with archive footage of 9/11 and scenes depicting executions making for a disturbing watch. According to the official synopsis, these terrorists hijack a pro-Palestine encampment to enforce Sharia law, prompting a group of students, a security guard, and a Delta Force veteran to arm themselves and resist – it's like they've taken all the worst tropes from your average right-wing conspiracy theory.
As the trailer dropped, social media users were left reeling in shock and disgust. Film critics have been quick to pounce, with Erik Voss likening the film to something produced by Vought Studios – the fictional corporation behind the propaganda machine in The Boys. Meanwhile, Tomris Laffly has drawn some worrying parallels between Majors' career trajectory and that of Armie Hammer, who recently starred in a vigilante thriller targeting immigrant criminals.
Just last year, Majors was riding high on his critically acclaimed roles in films like The Last Black Man In San Francisco and Creed III. He'd even landed the coveted villainous role as Kang The Conqueror within the Marvel Cinematic Universe – it's a shame he didn't stay there, considering his career has hit some serious roadblocks since.
Majors' arrest in March 2023 on domestic violence charges was a major red flag, but it was only the tip of the iceberg. He went on to be found guilty on two counts of assault and harassment related to an incident with ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari – talk about a punch to the gut. And let's not forget that accident on set last year, which raised serious questions about safety conditions during filming.