In addition to the human element of this news, which means that hundreds of talented people have just lost their jobs, this overhaul raises serious questions about the future of the franchise and, in particular, what it will mean for Marvel's movies and shows moving forward, now that the company has lost some of the MCU's very best creators.
Marvel's Layoffs Mean Many Talented MCU Creators Are No Longer With The Company
The sweeping nature of these layoffs inevitably means that numerous brilliant MCU creators are no longer with the company. Undoubtedly, many of those who were let go have been with the franchise for years, meaning that they have worked on some of the MCU's most significant successes, from Black Panther and Captain America to the many Avengers movies. The visual development team, which was among the most heavily affected, according to reports, has also proven to be an award-winning department over the years, contributing to Marvel's countless accolades.
It feels next to impossible that this won't have an effect on the larger franchise, which is in part why the news has stirred up such a strong reaction from fans and the media. Even with Disney planning to scale back (which seems likely true of not just Marvel but other Disney franchises, such as Star Wars, too), the absence of these creators will almost certainly be felt, and that could spell future trouble for the company.
Marvel's Layoffs Are The End Of An Era For The MCU
It's reasonable if fans are experiencing anxiety over what these layoffs will mean for the MCU moving forward, especially because the franchise is currently at such a fulcrum. This year, Avengers: Doomsday will be released—the first Avengers movie since Avengers: Endgame, which is largely seen as one of the MCU's best movies. Following that release, next year, Avengers: Secret Wars will hit theaters. It has long been rumored that there will be an MCU reboot after Secret Wars. If that's the case, the idea that the franchise would have a new start without these creators is a concerning one.
There's also something to be said for the human touch in a franchise like Marvel. In fact, Marvel in particular has been a beacon of human connection and creation for literal decades, which is something that Marvel legend Stan Lee voiced many times throughout his career, before his death in late 2018. In his own words, "You want a three-dimensional superhero, who lives and breathes and worries and experiences things just the way you and I do, except for the fact that he or she has a superpower."
While Marvel's visual development team does still have a few full-time employees, and while they're undoubtedly a very talented group of people, it's worrying to see these mass layoffs in the current context, in which so many companies are opting for AI and tech rather than a human-led approach. Audiences can't yet know what these changes will mean for Marvel's future, but there's something truly gutting in imagining that Stan Lee's heart and vision—and the heart and vision that has defined Marvel for generations—feels under threat.
English (US) ·