VFX artist slams Marvel Studios for ‘not figuring things out beforehand’

VFX artists have taken the brunt during various post-production work for Marvel Studios, and despite the recent firing of Marvel’s president of physical production, post-production, VFX, and animation, Victoria Alonso, it didn’t quelled the outrage these artists have held onto for years, calling out the studio for its incompetency.

Ever since the MCU became a content powerhouse in Hollywood, VFX artists have revealed on social media all the ways Marvel Studios is a “terrible client.” Artists have reported toxic work environments when working on Marvel projects, and one also reported that Marvel didn’t credit them in Thor: Love and Thunder. So when it was announced that Alonso was laid off from Marvel, it sparked more outrage.

In an interview with Variety, one anonymous VFX artist revealed that one of the biggest issues they had with Marvel was its “inability to provide clear guidelines.” They also revealed that Marvel was unable to figure a lot of things out beforehand, which led to some Marvel projects being difficult to work on.

“The show I was on really struggled because it was an established character whose powers they were reconceiving for the MCU.

“Marvel doesn’t figure shit out beforehand.”

It was also reported that some VFX artists saw Alonso as someone who would “blacklist artist” if they “pissed her off” in any way. At the same time, artists would complain due to the lack of schedules, ever-changing delines, and how they’re understaffed. This is troubling, especially when visual effects are heavily needed in MCU projects.

“… Visual effects artists began to loudly complain about Marvel’s demanding post-production schedules. Complaints ranged from unrelenting overtime to chronic understaffing to the inability to avoid delivering substandard work due to constantly changing deadlines. Some singled out Alonso as a “kingmaker” who would blacklist artists who have “pissed her off in any way.” 

Recent Marvel films, like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, were criticized for their subpar visual effects. At the same time, artists have admitted to taking shortcuts whenever they’re working on a Marvel project due to poor working conditions. The official cause of Alonso’s termination remains unknown at this time, and Marvel Studios has not yet announced Alonso’s replacement.