Wait, What Happened to Jonathan Majors’ Other Comeback Movie?

Seeing men defend Jonathan Majors had been one of the more disappointing things I’ve seen over the last few years (and there has been a lot of disappointment during that time). I’ve seen folks that I know and love decry the treatment he’s faced. People claim that what he didn’t wasn’t that bad, or that others do the same and face no consequences. While plenty of people certainly get off scot-free, that’s no reason not hold people accountable when you can. Besides, even when people are punished for their actions, they still come roaring back.

Majors’ name was all over the internet yesterday because he will be making an action movie for The Daily Wire, written and directed by a former Project Greenlight winner who made that “Die Hard with a school shooting” movie everyone wanted. Details are underwraps, but it will be produced by Ben Shapiro and is supposed to resemble action movies of the 80s and 90s, so expect a healthy dose of homophobia. Shapiro’s company worked overtime to have this labeled as Majors’ “comeback,” but that was already supposed to happen.

In 2024, it was announced that the disgraced actor would be starring in a supernatural revenge thriller called Merciless that was going to co-star a WWE superstar (so of course it wound up on my radar) and be directed by Martin Villeneuve, brother to Denis, which is giving some real “Señor Spielbergo” energy (but don’t tell Martin that, because he, I mean, the editors have made it clear on Wikipedia that he doesn’t benefit from being the director’s brother). Despite being announced, the film is nowhere to be seen.

This certainly isn’t the first nor last time that a film is announced but not produced, but it does feel striking given the constant attempts to redeem Majors. It makes sense that Shapiro would swoop in and try to claim the actor, as it would give them the kind of marquee name that they haven’t really had access to, but without him slumming it with a lesser-known Villeneuve in the interim. But, it’s not like Daily Wire’s movies are high quality, so how bad was Merciless going to be?

We will likely never find out. Instead, we’ll have to witness Majors’ phoenix-like rise as he returns to stardom on the back of the folks who brought you Terror on the Prairie and Lady Ballers. Remember those cultural touchstones? Hell, the company has done wonders for Gina Carano, right?! Majors will just be the next in a long line of failed careers successfully relaunched by The Daily Wire. Or he’ll be fighting Bill Murray for Netflix next year. One of those two, I’m sure.