Disney Settles Termination Suit With Former Marvel VFX Executive Victoria Alonso

Marvel

Apr 25

A settlement has been reached between Disney and former Marvel Studios VFX President Victoria Alonso, who left the company in March. That settlement is said to be a multimillion-dollar compensation, though other details remain unknown.

Alonso, who had been with Marvel Studios for 17 years, worked on films such as Iron Man, Thor, and Avengers. The reason for her sudden departure from the studio has been speculated on; at the time, reports stated she was let go from the company for her work on Argentina, 1985, which violated her contract (which stated she could not be involved with non-Disney projects).

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Alonso’s lawyer for the case, Patricia Glaser, responded to that statement by saying Alonso had been given Disney’s blessing to work on Argentina, 1985, and that the idea she was fired because of that “is absolutely ridiculous.” Rather, she was fired to silence her after criticizing Disney, and for refusing “to do something she believed reprehensible.” That reprehensible act is believed to be censoring Pride decorations visible in a storefront for the Kuwait release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. As a gay Latina, Alonso would have strong feelings about such censorship.

Disney’s response said she was “sharing a narrative that leaves out several key factors concerning her departure, including an indisputable breach of contract and a direct violation of company policy.” Those two could be one and the same thing, but in the time of her firing and the settlement, VFX professionals have been speaking out against her, citing that she is the reason for the toxic environment within Marvel Studios’ VFX department, pushing for long work hours and not enough pay. And most concerning, that she had a blacklist for anyone who didn’t comply, one that supposedly blocked them from all Disney projects.

The truth behind whether she was solely responsible for the toxic environment will likely be known if things change within the VFX department in the coming months. One truth that’s unlikely to be known is the full reasoning behind Alonso’s firing.

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