Victoria Alonso’s exit comes as a shock given that she was just elevated to one of its top positions in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. Alonso joined Marvel Studios in 2005 as executive vice president of visual effects and postproduction and has been a member of the company since Iron Man (2008). Alonso worked alongside Kevin Feige and even with the top brass of Disney after it acquired Marvel.
After working and co-creating a franchise her silent and sudden exit has raised too many eyebrows. Many have blamed her for creating an unhealthy work environment and making it impossible for the VFX teams to function is a major reason why she was kicked out. Amidst these allegations, some continue to stand beside her.
Chris Lee took to Twitter to expose Victoria Alonso
Victoria Alonso’s exit from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is surrounded by a shroud of mist and smoke. Several artists have stated that Marvel Studios’ handling of its contractual artists is to blame for the poor quality of the work. Chris Lee took to Twitter right after her exit from MCU to talk about Victoria Alonso’s toxic work style.
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
— Chris Lee (@__ChrisLee) March 20, 2023
In Below, the Line Jeff Sneider shared what his sources had to say about Alonso’s exit. He reveals that Alonso is not the“kingmaker” that Lee made her out to be but there were issues,
“I what I think is that. I’m told that some people cheered her exit and some people were devastated by her exit I think that she was liked internally at Marvel yeah externally she was not well-liked, by externally I mean by the vendors by all the VFX companies”
Jeff Sneider has reasons to believe that Alonso’s exit could be a result of her attempts to include LGBTQ characters in upcoming Marvel films. Disney already lost tax benefits in Florida, which is a very conservative state. It could probe Disney to attempt and please these states to sustain themselves.
Victoria Alonso is being used as a scapegoat by Disney
The MCU has been slammed for its descending quality of VFX, especially after the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Many have pointed out that VFX is outsourced by the franchise to different vendors and the quality shift is a result of that. This is also the reason MCU is unable to deliver projects which are consistent in terms of quality.
Alonso’s exit fueled the fire and increased the intensity with which it was burning. The issue of VFX workers not being treated properly and a lack of a safe, healthy work environment is now mass knowledge. Jeff Sneider discussed in the podcast along with John Roach how Disney and MCU could be using Alonso as a scapegoat.
Victoria Alonso might have blacklisted some vendors as the sources suggest, but she cannot be the sole reason why VFX artists do not have a healthy work life. She was just recently promoted as the President and the orders of finishing projects, deadlines, and shoots come from top brass like the CEO and owners of the franchise. The finality of these claims remains undecided as Alonso or Disney is yet to make any official comment on the sudden exit.
Source: YouTube
