Breaking Kevin Feige’s Strict MCU Rule Did Not End Too Well For Marvel Exec Victoria Alonso
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has kept steadily rolling under the guidance of Kevin Feige and is reportedly gaining momentum in Phase Five with a new addition of movies and upcoming projects. For Feige, it is not solely about making movies and grabbing the box office.
With a legacy spanning more than a decade, Marvel has always prioritized holding its reputation. Like its competitors, Marvel also implements strict rules to ensure the quality and integrity of its brand. However, these rules had a detrimental impact on Marvel’s executive, Victoria Alonso, ultimately resulting in her departure.
Marvel executive Victoria Alonso has “outgrown” her role at Marvel
Marvel Studios has been coughing up controversies in recent days, including the firing of a former executive, Victoria Alonso. For those unfamiliar, Alonso served as the president of the production, visual effects, and animation departments of the studio. Before rising into the executive regime, she also worked as a co-producer of Avengers movies such as Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America.
According to Direct, Alonso was recently fired from the position for stirring up multiple allegations and rumors. In some reports, she was allegedly accused of creating a toxic environment in the animation wing. A new book on the MCU stated that she caused friction between Kevin Feige and herself, purportedly breaking the cardinal rule of the studio.
Regardless, Kevin Feige was not part of the decision to fire her from the studio. As per the reports, he had a significant disagreement with her public statement. One such issue is that she, in an instance, publicly criticized the Disney CEO, Bob Chapek, for not standing against Florida’s controversial anti-LGBTQ+ ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill in public. As per the Deadline, during the GLAAD Media Awards 2022, she stated:
“Mr. Chapek: please respect – if we’re selling family – take a stand against all of these crazy outdated laws and Take a stand for family.”
According to Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards, mentioned in the Book of MCU, ” “Alonso had broken one of Feige’s cardinal rules: don’t speak out publicly against the company.” And this incident might be a possible reason that caused friction between Alonso and Feige, following her dismissal. An anonymous source told the authors that Feige has suggested Alonso had ‘outgrown’ her role at Marvel and cautioned her to “keep her down” and “do her work”.
Victoria Alonso’s Queer-Centered Approach Impact on Marvel Exit
On the other hand, she was accused of breaching her contract by working with Amazon Studios while being an active employee of Marvel. She was legally terminated in March 2023; in regard to it, Alonso was barred from participating in press junkies related to Marvel releases. Her removal was followed by legal proceedings that led to a multi-million-dollar settlement in April.
Victoria Alonso is lesbian herself and even refused to take down LGBTQ symbols in the movie Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantomania, as it could pose a serious threat to the film’s release in certain foreign countries that had laws or cultural norms against LGBTQ+ content.
Eventually, her decision to defy the studio’s request created a tense atmosphere within the company. It seems like all these issues might have contributed to her termination from Marvel.
The situation with Alonso does not reflect well on Marvel and Disney. It implies that speaking out or dissenting from a well-established company can lead to negative consequences. It also raised the idea that people like Feige have to make tough decisions to overcome these challenges to maintain stability and uphold their reputation.
