Marvel’s Victoria Alonso sacking saga heats up with new claims

When one of the key figures behind Marvel Cinematic Universe was shot out of the blue, you had a feeling that it would become much more difficult. And now it has happened.

Last week, Victoria Alonso, who has produced every Marvel Studios film alongside Kevin Feige and Louis D’Esposito, was fired from the company. The reason for the departure was not given at the time, but a few things came to light later this week.

It started on a Friday when Hollywood Reporter released an article claiming that Alonso was fired because she violated her contract by producing Argentina, 1985 a film distributed by Amazon that was nominated for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Alonso not only produced it, but used her name and status to promote it, and according to trade, working with a rival company and project was a key factor in getting her fired.

Later that day, however, Alonso’s attorney, Patty Glaser, spoke to Los Angeles Times and denied these allegations. “The idea that Victoria was fired because of several press interviews related to her personal passion for an Oscar-nominated project about human rights and democracy and for which she received the blessing of Disney is absolutely ridiculous,” Glazer told the Times. . “Victoria, a gay Hispanic who had the guts to criticize Disney, was silenced.”

However, this is where things get uglier. Glaser added that Alonso “was fired when she refused to do something that she felt was reprehensible.” She didn’t elaborate further, but added, “Disney and Marvel have made a very bad decision that will have serious consequences. There is a lot more to this story, and Victoria will soon tell it – on one forum or another.

What could be so “reprehensible”? Well, it should be noted that Alonso was very outspoken when then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek did not answer strongly enough to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. It’s not clear if there is any connection, but Glaser mentioned it and it shows that Alonso wasn’t afraid to speak out against his bosses.

Raising the stakes even further, a Disney spokesperson responded to Glaser’s claims. “It’s very unfortunate that Victoria is sharing a narrative that overlooks several key factors regarding her departure, including a clear breach of contract and a direct violation of company policy,” a Time spokesperson said. “We will continue to wish her all the best for the future and thank her for her many contributions to the studio.”

So what’s next, what happened and in what forum could Alonso speak? Later this year, she has a memoir called Opportunity is your superpower which tells her story of growing up in Argentina before becoming one of the leading architects for one of the biggest brands in Hollywood. It might be one. Or maybe it gets to the courts and something comes up. Whatever happens, this story has all the makings of another interconnected saga centered on Alonso.

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