Update, Friday, April 21 at 1:10 a.m.: Disney has settled with Marvel’s former VFX and postproduction president, Victoria Alonso, according to Deadline. Specific details remain confidential, but a multimillion-dollar deal was reportedly reached this week. This resolution comes after news broke last month that the longtime exec had been abruptly fired. Alonso’s attorney previously alleged that her client had been “silenced†by Disney, who called the claim “unfortunate.â€
Original story published March 25, 2023 follows.
After being fired from her longtime role as Marvel’s VFX and postproduction president, Victoria Alonso is ready to fire back against claims about why she lost her job. Patty Glaser, Alonso’s attorney, issued a Friday statement to Variety denying that Alonso was fired because of her role as a producer on Argentina, 1985. Instead, Glaser claimed that her client was “silenced†by Disney. (And no, she made no mention of the highly criticized visual effects in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.)
The Hollywood Reporter first reported that Alonso’s involvement in Argentina, 1985 — which Amazon Studios helped produce — breached a contract she signed with Disney in 2018 that prohibited work with company competitors. THR claimed the veteran exec was given a pass under the condition that she would stick to Marvel projects moving forward and not promote any other work. Allegedly, Alonso’s decision to promote Argentina, 1985 anyway caused her exit. “The idea that Victoria was fired over a handful of press interviews relating to a personal passion project about human rights and democracy that was nominated for an Oscar and which she got Disney’s blessing to work on is absolutely ridiculous,†Glaser responded. “Victoria, a gay Latina who had the courage to criticize Disney, was silenced.â€
Several outlets have suggested this is a reference to Alonso’s comments at the 2022 GLAAD Awards, where she called out Bob Chapek, then CEO of Disney, out for his handling of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay†bill. Reportedly, she was told after the awards ceremony that she could no longer do press for Marvel. According to Glaser, Alonso was eventually “terminated when she refused to do something she believed was reprehensible.†The attorney did not offer any further specifics, though Deadline reports that the incident involved a Disney executive who is not current CEO Bob Iger. “Disney and Marvel made a really poor decision that will have serious consequences,†Glaser concluded. “There is a lot more to this story and Victoria will be telling it shortly — in one forum or another.â€
A Disney spokesperson responded to the attorney’s statement, denying the claims. “It’s unfortunate that Victoria is 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,†the spokesperson said in a statement. “We will continue to wish her the best for the future and thank her for her numerous contributions to the studio.â€