Ahead of the Disney+ show's season 2 premiere, its executive producer Kevin Wright discusses why the Kang the Conqueror depictor's arrest didn't impact the series.
- Oct 3, 2023
AceShowbiz - Jonathan Majors' domestic violence charges have greatly affected his career, but his involvement on "Loki" remains intact. Ahead of the Disney+ show's season 2 premiere, its executive producer Kevin Wright discusses why the actor's arrest didn't impact the series.
Speaking with Variety, Kevin assured fans that the Kang the Conqueror depictor would return for the sophomore season. The EP shared that the arrest had no impact on filming, which was wrapped in 2022, because the upcoming season "is the first Marvel series to never have any additional photography."
"The story that is on screen is the story we set out to make," Kevin explained. "We went out there with a very specific idea of what we wanted this to be, and we found a way to tell it in that production period. It's very much what's onscreen on Disney+."
Kevin also said that there hasn't even been a discussion about replacing the actor following his scandal. "I know as much as you do at the moment. It felt hasty to do anything without knowing how all of this plays out," he shared.
Jonathan was taken into custody on March 25 after an alleged domestic dispute with his girlfriend. After being delayed three times, his domestic violence trial is currently set to begin on October 25.
Elsewhere in the interview, the executive producer talked about casting Ke Huy Quan as OB. "We were in London, so I had at least some version of our scripts. The way the process works, they're always being rewritten, but OB was in there, and his introduction scene was almost exactly as originally written. I would like to say it was in early spring, which was maybe just two months before we started shooting. We were casting, and 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' was playing in L.A. and in New York, but it hadn't gone nationwide yet," Kevin recalled.
"I think it was going the very next week. We had gotten a call from our casting director who said, 'Hey, I'm about to put together a list for OB - just initial thoughts. But before I do that, I really think you guys should meet Ke, and I think it should be Ke. I think you guys should meet with him quick, because probably by Monday, he's going to have a lot of offers for different things," he continued.
They finally got on a Zoom together with the Oscar-winning actor alongside directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. He added, "We pitched him the show and this character. We shared that introduction scene with him and maybe the full script. And then we called in the big guns that Monday; Kevin Feige got on the phone with him and said, 'Ke, I know you read the script. I know you talked to the guys. We really think you should do this. I really want you to join the Marvel family.' And he had already made up his mind over the weekend. It was like, 'I'm there. I've been a huge fan of this for a long time.' "
Season 2 of "Loki" will premiere on Disney+ on October 5.
