Behind the veil of her lawyer, Victoria Alonso – a previous Marvel Studios executive – exposed what had actually caused her abrupt termination: it was more than just disregarding contract terms.
While reports initially suggested she had been terminated due to her endorsement of Amazon’s Oscar-nominated production “Argentina, 1985”; now Alonso is implying there is much more to this story than meets the eye.
“The idea that Victoria was fired over a handful of press interviews relating to a personal passion project about human rights and democracy that was nominated for an Oscar and which she got Disney’s blessing to work on is absolutely ridiculous,” Alonso’s attorney Patty Glaser said in a statement, per Variety.
“Victoria, a gay Latina who had the courage to criticize Disney, was silenced,” Glaser’s statement continued. “Then she was terminated when she refused to do something she believed was reprehensible. Disney and Marvel made a really poor decision that will have serious consequences. There is a lot more to this story and Victoria will be telling it shortly—in one forum or another.”
According to rumors at Disney, director Peyton Reed was infuriated when requested by the Marvel team to obscure photos of LGBT pride decorations in “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” for its launch in Kuwait. These Pride items could be seen through storefronts as Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) strolled down a San Francisco road.
This is one of many instances when Hollywood studios delete particular scenes to suit international viewers’ preferences. The Kuwait version had references to alcohol and cartoons with exposed butt cheeks removed, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. It was only the Kuwait edition that blotted out pride flags – no other versions did it.
Last year, Alonso passionately spoke out against Disney CEO Bob Chapek amidst the contentious dispute regarding Florida’s Parental Rights in Education legislation – more commonly known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
“So I ask you again Mr. Chapek: please respect—if we’re selling family—take a stand against all of these crazy outdated laws,” the Marvel exec said at the time. “Take a stand for family. Stop saying that you tolerate us. We deserve the right to live, love, and have. More importantly, we deserve an origin story.”
Disney replied to Alonso’s most recent claims. “It’s unfortunate that Victoria is sharing a narrative that leaves out several key factors concerning her departure, including an indisputable breach of contract and a direct violation of company policy,” the company said. “We will continue to wish her the best for the future and thank her for her numerous contributions to the studio.”
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