The drama surrounding Victoria Alonso’s exit as one of Marvel Studios’ top-ranking executives isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Alonso has yet to comment publicly on her departure. Nor has she confirmed that she was actually fired from the studio. But a new exposé from The Hollywood Reporter is backing up those earlier reports. And it also gives a surprising reason for why she was suddenly dismissed from Marvel.
According to THR’s sources, Alonso’s termination can be linked to her role as a producer on Argentina, 1985, the Spanish-language historical drama that was showered with critical acclaim upon its release last year. The movie was also nominated for Best International Feature prior to this year’s Academy Awards. The film’s story—which recounts the prosecution of soldiers who violently oppressed the titular country’s citizens under a military dictatorship that ended in 1983—was very personal to Alonso since she was born in Argentina. However, the report indicates that Disney saw her involvement as a breach of contract.
Under the terms of a 2018 agreement, Alonso—as a Disney employee—was not allowed to work for a competing studio. There are conflicting reports as to whether Alonso sought Disney’s permission to work on Argentina, 1985. Regardless, she went ahead anyway, and when Disney got wind of her activities, the studio initially gave her a pass on account of her “longtime service and veteran status” within the company. But that was on the condition that her involvement with the film stopped there.
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In the end, Alonso appeared to ignore the studio’s wishes. Following Argentina, 1985’s premiere at the Venice International Film Festival last September, Alonso continued to make public appearances in support of the movie, participating in a variety of screenings and Q&A events no matter how many times Disney reminded her of their agreement. She even appeared at the Oscars earlier this month alongside the film’s director, Santiago Mitre, which may have been the final straw for Disney, especially since Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever earned several nominations of its own at the ceremony.
Other insiders suggest that Alonso’s journey on the promotional circuit for Argentina, 1985 kept her from overseeing Marvel’s ballooning post-production slate, which was one of her primary duties at the studio. Because Marvel is currently facing criticism for the quality of its visual effects sequences and for its treatment of the workers who bring these scenes to life, firing Alonso could be the first step in trying to turn things around. However, it remains to be seen how her exit will affect the studio’s future output.
What do you think about the latest claims regarding the exit of Victoria Alonso from Marvel? Let us know in the comment section below!
Photo Credit: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images and Amazon Studios
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