Mar 27, 2023

Former Marvel VFX & Animation Boss Victoria Alonso Fired for Breach of Contract

According to recent reports, Marvel's VFX and animation boss Victoria Alonso was fired from the Disney-owned company because of her involvement in the Academy Award-nominated Argentine film "Argentina, 1985."

Background Alonso, an executive formerly in charge of animation and VFX for Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), was fired by the studio on Friday, March 17. The news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter (THR). Alonso's departure was unexpected and came as a shock to a large portion of the VFX industry and many people working at MCU.

New information now available - rumors and speculation initially cited a number of reasons for Alonso's dismissal, but it was later revealed that he was fired for breach of contract. According to Disney, Alonso was prohibited by his 2018 contract from working on projects for rival studios. However, Alonso produced last year's Academy Award-nominated Argentine film "Argentina, 1985" with Amazon Studios, which was released on Prime Video in October, and according to THR's article, Alonso told Disney before joining that project that she was involved When Alonso signed a new contract in 2022, it added stricter language prohibiting further work outside the studio, including promotion.

What Alonso did wrong - If Disney is correct, her involvement in the 1985 awards campaign for "Argentina" violated the language of Alonso's new contract. According to Marvel sources, Alonso was repeatedly warned in writing that her actions violated the new contract, but she continued to promote the film's awards campaign anyway. At the Academy Awards, Alonso walked the red carpet with Argentina and 1985 director Santiago Mitre, not with the team representing Marvel's Oscar-nominated film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Extenuating Circumstances: Alonso's 2022 There have been conflicting reports about what happened after Alonso attended the GLAAD Media Awards in 2022, where he criticized then-CEO Bob Chapek for his handling of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law. Alonso cursed his boss and said, "Mr. Chapek, please do it again. According to one source, the comment irked Disney's upper management, while others claim that her comments only enhanced her standing within the company.

Alonso's side of the story - Alonso's lawyer, Patty Glaser, argued:

Victoria was fired for a handful of press interviews related to a personal passion project on human rights and democracy that was nominated for an Academy Award and worked on with Disney's permission. The idea that she was fired for an interview is utterly ridiculous. Victoria, a gay Latina who courageously criticized Disney, was silenced. And she was fired when she refused to believe she was to blame. Disney and Marvel made a really poor decision with serious consequences. There is more to this story, and Victoria will be telling it shortly in one of the forums or another.

Did Disney respond - In a statement provided to Variety, a Disney spokesperson said:

Victoria left out several key elements of the story regarding her departure, including undisputed breach of contract and direct violation of company policy It is unfortunate that you are sharing this with us. We wish her well in her future endeavors and thank her for her significant contributions to the studio.