Jonathan Majors, the disgraced former Marvel actor, has found new work in the anti-Islam action thriller Run Hide Fight: Infidels, produced by Ben Shapiro's Daily Wire studio. The film, which critics have derided as far-right propaganda, makes its political stance explicit from the opening scenes, blending fictional violence with real-world imagery.
A Controversial Premise and Polarized Reactions
The 128-minute feature, directed by Kyle Rankin, follows Captain Saunders, a Delta Force veteran played by Majors, as he confronts an Islamist mass-casualty attack on a college campus. The film's trailer immediately sparked backlash by intercutting fictional scenes with actual footage of the 9/11 attacks, pro-Palestine protests, and Fox News personalities, before showing an IS flag flying over a campus. The tagline, “Coming soon … or already here?” further fueled criticism.
Reactions were sharply divided. Mainstream filmgoers and critics condemned the premise as xenophobic and Islamophobic, while rightwing commentators celebrated its perceived political incorrectness. Dallas Sonnier, from co-producer Bonfire Legend, defended the film, saying, “If you’re afraid to put radical jihadis as your villains, then you’re a wimpy movie producer. We don’t have that fear.”
Critics Slam Execution and Offensive Stereotypes
Critics have panned the film's execution, describing it as a “PragerU student film” with characters drawn in crayon. The narrative includes a campus HR officer dazzled by a terrorist sleeper cell, a spineless university president, and a pregnant professor urging crackdowns on protests. The terrorists are portrayed using Heritage Foundation talking points, planting bombs, herding women into showers, and forcing Christians to swear allegiance to the caliphate. Scenes feature offensive jokes about gluten allergies, the “gay agenda,” and mainstream media, with an Asian character maimed but still able to hack a security mainframe, quipping, “I'm Asian.”
Reviewer Andrew Lawrence, writing for The Guardian, called the film “laughably terrible far-right propaganda.” He noted the heavy use of AI for newscasts and screen filler, and a botched stunt that led to a crew strike, despite the production shooting in right-to-work South Carolina to avoid such issues.
Majors' Fall from Grace and Uncertain Future
Majors' involvement marks a low point in his career. Three years ago, he was Hollywood's rising star, with breakout roles in HBO's Lovecraft Country and Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods, and cast as Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, in 2023, he was arrested after an altercation with his girlfriend and found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment. Marvel recast Kang, bringing Robert Downey Jr out of retirement, and the US army dropped Majors as a spokesperson.
Despite attempts to rebuild his reputation, including marrying actress Meagan Good and completing a domestic violence intervention program, Majors' career has not recovered. His next film, Magazine Dreams, touted as Oscar bait, failed to gain traction. Some online observers have questioned whether Majors was punished more harshly than white male actors in similar situations, but others suggest his real crime was disrupting a multibillion-dollar franchise plan, making studios wary.
Political Climate and Potential Comeback
The political climate has shifted since Hollywood turned its back on Majors. The #MeToo movement and wokeness have given way to incel culture and DEI crackdowns, and rightwing media figures now run the government. In this environment, some believe it may only be a matter of time before Majors is returned to prominence. As Lawrence wrote, “Because that's the American way.”
For now, Majors is stuck at the Daily Wire, performing political kabuki. Whether Run Hide Fight: Infidels can spring a comeback remains uncertain, but the film has certainly reignited debates about the intersection of politics, entertainment, and accountability.
