The story behind Disney's firing of Marvel Studios executive Victoria Alonso has finally been explained.
Due to her 17-year tenure with the company and position as president of physical and post-production, visual effects, and animation, news of the longtime MCU producer's exit left the industry in shock when made public on Monday, March 20.
Since her departure comes amidst studio struggles and delays, accusations about her role in "Marvel's toxic work environment," particularly in terms of VFX, have dominated the conversation.
But following news that Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman made the call to remove Alonso, a new report has finally revealed the why behind the MCU's latest shake-up.
The Reason Why Disney Fired Victoria Alonso
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Victoria Alonso's Oscar-nominated drama Argentina, 1985 is responsible for Disney's dismissal of the MCU co-founder.
Since Amazon distributed the international legal drama, sources claim Alonso breached her 2018 contract stating that employees would not work for competing studios.
In addition, not only did Alsonso fail to ask permission to contribute to Argentina, 1985, but after Disney learned of her violation, she continued working on the film and contributed to its publicity campaign.
Sources claim that Alsonso was reminded of her breach of contract on multiple occasions. However, she continued to promote the drama, including her appearance on the Oscars red carpet alongside Argentina, 1985 director, Santiago Mitre.
Alonso's involvement in the drama's publicity campaign, all while Marvel Studios churned out a record number of visual effects-heavy projects, reportedly angered Disney as well.
The issue supposedly climaxed in the days following the Oscars and resulted in Disney's Alan Bergman, alongside Disney's legal and human resources department, making the decision to fire her.
Why Did Victoria Alonso Ignore Disney's Warnings?
Amazon's Argentina, 1985 explains why Disney's legal department was involved with Bergman in making the call.
It also sheds light on why Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige allegedly "felt mired in an impossible situation" and did not intervene.
What isn't clear is why Alonso continued to contribute to the film - and its public promotion - despite reported warnings from Disney.
Granted, the project was personal for the Buenos Aires-born producer and one that she clearly deemed as needing to be told.
However, as a high-ranking studio executive herself, she was surely aware of the risks associated with breaching a contract and working for two competing studios.
The question now is whether Marvel Studios' VFX issues also played a part in her dismissal.
While it's unlikely that audiences will ever know for certain, it's worth noting that her departure comes amidst Disney CEO Bob Iger's intention to decrease the Chapek-era levels of MCU content.
Therefore, whoever Marvel and Disney choose as her replacement will have fewer irons in the fire.
In the coming days, it will be interesting to see how Victoria Alonso's exit saga continues to play out. But it may take longer to discover the impact of both her presence - and now absence - on the greater MCU.
