According to a report from Deadline, The Walt Disney Company recently initiated a new round of layoffs, potentially impacting up to 1,000 employees across the company. Its subsidiary, Marvel Entertainment, has also been affected, with reports of personnel adjustments across several core departments. The news has drawn significant industry attention.
The report indicates that the layoffs have impacted Marvel's operations in both New York and Burbank, with widespread effects across various divisions, including comic publishing, film and television production, as well as finance and legal departments. This suggests a comprehensive structural overhaul is underway. The Visual Development department has been particularly hard hit, with most related positions eliminated.
Sources indicate that future visual development work will transition to a project-based, outsourced model. Artists, illustrators, and designers will no longer be employed full-time, but will instead collaborate on a project-by-project basis, depending on the needs of various film and television productions. A streamlined internal team will oversee and manage these collaborations. Since its establishment in 2010, this department has been a crucial core in shaping the overall visual style of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In an internal memo to employees, new Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro stated that the layoffs are intended to "streamline operations" and create a more agile and technologically driven organization to adapt to evolving industry landscapes and future growth demands.
Notably, Disney previously conducted a massive round of layoffs in 2023, impacting 7,000 employees. This latest reduction in workforce underscores the company's ongoing commitment to cost control and organizational restructuring strategies. It also signals a shift in Marvel's future operational model for film, television, and creative production.
via： Deadline