New details have surfaced regarding the abrupt exit of longtime Marvel Studios executive Victoria Alonso.
Earlier this week, it came to light that Alonso had parted ways with Marvel Studios on Friday, March 17 -- ending her 17-year tenure with the company. According to Variety, however, three insiders with knowledge of the situation say Alonso was actually terminated from her role as president of physical, post-production, VFX and animation. What's more, Alonso was evidently caught completely off-guard by this development.
While the exact reason for Alonso's firing is currently unknown, the insiders say the decision was made by human resources and The Walt Disney Company's legal department, as well as a number of company executives. One such executive was reportedly Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman, whom everyone at Marvel Studios reports to. Supposedly, Marvel Studios president and Marvel Entertainment chief creative officer Kevin Feige -- Alonso's longtime boss -- felt trapped in an impossible situation. As such, one insider claims, Feige did not intervene in the proceedings. Another source claims that Alonso was "blindsided" by her termination.
Marvel Employees Push Back on the Accusations Against Alonso
Notably, news of Alonso's exit comes at a time when Marvel Studios has found itself under increased scrutiny for its alleged treatment of the VFX artists that work on its films and streaming shows. Some have singled out Alonso for allegedly creating a toxic work environment and blacklisting artists she doesn't like. "She is known in the industry as a kingmaker," an anonymous, Vancouver-based VFX tech who has vowed to never work for Marvel again said in a piece published by Vulture earlier this year. "If she likes you, you are going to get work and move up in the industry. If you have pissed her off in any way, you're going to get frozen out."
In the same article, however, a UK-based VFX artist named Joe Pavlo called the existence of any industry blacklists a "myth," saying that massive studios like Marvel have so much VFX work to be done that they can't afford to cut anyone out. Nevertheless, after news of Alonso's Marvel departure broke, Vulture senior reporter Chris Lee stood by his initial piece. "SO many VFX sources have told me Victoria Alonso was singularly responsible for Marvel's toxic work environment: a kingmaker who rewarded unquestioning fealty with an avalanche of work, but who also maintained the blacklist that kept FX pros wild eyed with fear," Lee tweeted.
That said, in Variety's new piece, a senior VFX artist at Marvel pushed back against some of these claims, particularly the notion that Alonso would target individual artists. "The idea of a very senior exec terrifying rank and file artists, per some reports, feels a bit off," they said. Moreover, three different "up-and-coming" Marvel Cinematic Universe actors agreed that Alonso was "only a supportive force on set." A former Disney film exec also came to Alonso's defense, saying, "She was the epitome of professional and knows her stuff."
Victoria Alonso's Marvel Legacy
Alonso joined Marvel Studios as executive vice president of visual effects and post-production in 2006 -- two years before the MCU kicked off with the release of Iron Man and three years before Disney acquired the company. Alonso served as co-producer on Iron Man, as well as on Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. She has served as an executive producer on every Marvel Studios film and TV series since 2012's The Avengers. Alonso was promoted to executive VP of production in 2015 before again being promoted to president of physical, post-production, VFX and animation in 2021.
During her time at Marvel, Alonso worked closely with Feige and fellow exec Louis D'Esposito. She has also been lauded by media watchdogs for her vocal support of more diverse stories set within the MCU. Alonso chronicles her career in her upcoming memoir, titled Possibility Is Your Superpower.
Source: Variety