Victoria Alonso’s exit from Marvel Studios stunned fans and industry professionals when it made the news earlier this week. Alonso spent nearly two decades with the company and ultimately worked her way up to become the President of Physical, Post Production, VFX and Animation. Regardless, her sudden departure may not have been her choice at all. A new report from Variety alleges that Alonso was actually fired from her position at the studio.
Variety’s sources don’t give a concrete reason for Alonso’s removal. But they claim that Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman—the primary liaison between Marvel and its parent corporation—was the one who made the call. Evidently, this “blindsided” Alonso when it was first handed down. Insiders also say that Marvel boss Kevin Feige wasn’t involved in the decision. However, he reportedly felt “mired in an impossible situation” and chose not to intervene on Alonso’s behalf.
Alonso’s rise within Marvel’s ranks was often celebrated as a win for industry-wide inclusion. She is an openly LGBTQ woman of color, which made her a trailblazing force throughout the movie biz as a whole. But her job also made her the one in charge of shepherding all MCU projects across the post-production finish line. And Variety speculates that her firing can be traced back to last summer, when “cracks began to show in the company’s seemingly impervious armor” regarding the quality of the content it produced.
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The launch of Disney+ led to a larger number of Marvel titles released in a given year. But the report specifically cites complaints made by Marvel VFX artists on Reddit forums and in articles published by high-profile outlets like CNET, IGN, and Vulture, all of which took aim at the studio’s fraught post-production schedules complicated by long hours, “chronic” understaffing, and deadlines that constantly change.
A few technicians have laid the blame for this at Alonso’s feet. A separate Vulture story found these artists labeling her as a “kingmaker.” In other words, she doesn’t hesitate to blackball anyone who has “pissed her off in any way.” Others dispute these claims, suggesting these allegations feel “a bit off.” Meanwhile, additional sources have praised Alonso, with one calling her “the epitome of professional.”
The disappointing critical and financial response to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania last month may have also played a role in Alonso’s termination. Whatever the case, Disney is still reportedly focused on churning out less Marvel productions annually in an effort to cut costs. As for the vacancy at the studio, Marvel has yet to announce Alonso’s replacement. But as Variety notes, it might be more than a one-person job.
What do you think of this latest update surrounding Alonso’s Marvel exit? Let us know in the comment section below!
Photo Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
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