Marvel Studios veteran Victoria Alonso leaves the company, hinting at period of uncertainty for MCU

Victoria Alonso has left Marvel Studios
Victoria Alonso has left Marvel Studios Copyright Getty
By David Mouriquand
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In a shocking turn of events, one of the studio’s most important executives, Victoria Alonso, has left the company.

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Could trouble be brewing behind the scenes at Marvel Studios?

In a shocking turn of events, one of the studio’s most important executives, Victoria Alonso, has left the company.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Alonso, who has produced every Marvel film since Iron Man, suddenly left. She is one of the few names – alongside head honcho Kevin Feige and Louis D’Esposito – to have been attached to all the Marvel Cinematic Universe films since the first one in 2008.

Alonso joined Marvel Studios in 2006 as Executive Vice-President of Visual Effects and Post-Production, serving as co-producer on early Marvel Cinematic Universe films like Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. Since then, Alonso has worked as an Executive Producer on every Marvel Studios film and TV show since 2012’s The Avengers – the landmark film that grossed $1.5 billion and elevated Marvel to new heights.

She was named one of People en Español magazine’s Most Influential Hispanic Women in 2019 and 2020 and has been featured on THR’s Women in Entertainment Power 100 list multiple times.

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Victoria Alonso at the premiere of Marvel's most recent film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: QuantumaniaDisney

Her departure is a huge shakeup for Marvel, who haven’t posted a statement explaining the reasoning behind Alonso’s exit. No one knows for the moment whether her departure was the result of a mutual agreement of if the producer was fired.

Alonso does have a memoir coming out in May titled 'Possibility Is Your Superpower', which will tell her story of growing up in Argentina all the way to being one of the architects of one of the largest brands in Hollywood. Perhaps some answers will be found in the memoir.

It is more likely that the poor performances – both critical and in terms of box office numbers – of recent Marvel shows like She-Hulk or movies such as Thor: Love And Thunder and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (the MCU’s latest film and 31st chapter) could have something to do with her departure.

The special effects in these recent films have come under fire, and third instalment of the Ant-Man franchise fell below 2015’s Ant-Man and 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp at the worldwide box office.

Also, under her tenure, Marvel had apparently become the worst studio for visual effects artists to work with in Hollywood, with many artists criticizing the working conditions and deadlines on MCU projects.

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Still from one of Marvel's most slated recent projects, Thor: Love And ThunderDisney - Marvel

It doesn’t help that the aforementioned mediocre instalments have contributed to a sense of superhero fatigue for fans of the seemingly interminable series of films and shows, leading many to suggest that the MCU has now fully entered its Diminishing Returns phase. 

Any spectator going into the current MCU is almost required to be up to speed with every single film and Disney+ show in order to fully understand and appreciate the intricate timelines / multiverses inherent to the inter-connected franchise.

Alonso’s exit also comes just months after returning CEO Bob Iger made clear that his plan for Disney’s long-term success involves reigning in content spend and that Marvel might not be putting out third or fourth franchise instalments in the future.

Though Alonso’s name will still be listed in the credits of a number of Marvel Studios’ upcoming projects like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Marvels, as well as Disney+ shows like Secret Invasion, Ironheart and Agatha: Coven of Chaos, the long-time producer’s sudden exit feels like a confirmation that Marvel is either entering a period of uncertainty or looking to shake things up.

Either way, Marvel Studios could not have achieved their current global dominance without Victoria Alonso.

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