Current and former staffers at Marvel Entertainment are doubtful about the comics company's commitment to diversity, noting that its 18-person editorial staff has no Black employees and only two people of color, Business Insider reports.
They also pointed to Marvel's editorial direction since the departure of Axel Alonso in 2017. "The guy who made a commitment to diversity and wanted to try new things was fired," one former employee said.
A July 6 staff memo by Marvel President Dan Buckley stated the company would discern what's keeping Marvel from "recruiting and fostering more BIPOC talent," examine its culture to do better at recruiting and retention and create works to "reach and represent an even broader audience."
Since 2015, Marvel has had two Black employees on its editorial staff, both assistant editors. One left this year "after five years without a promotion or raise," according to the report. A female staffer worked there three years without a raise or promotion and left; she got a promotion within a year at another comics company.
During Alonso's tenure from 2011 to 2017, Marvel introduced the Miles Morales Spider-Man, Jane Foster's Thor, Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel and made Sam Wilson the new Captain America. Sales slumped, and the company refocused on "core Marvel characters," with President of Sales David Gabriel telling ICv2, "What we heard is that people didn't want any more diversity."