Disney layoffs hit team behind blockbuster superhero franchises

A sweeping round of layoffs has rocked Marvel, gutting teams behind some of Hollywood’s biggest superhero hits as parent company Disney tightens its belt.

Roughly 8% of the superhero brand’s workforce has been cut, impacting Marvel Entertainment in New York and Marvel Studios in Burbank. The layoffs stretch across nearly every division — including film and television production, publishing, franchise operations, finance and legal, Deadline reported.

“I know this is hard,” The Walt Disney Company CEO Josh D’Amaro wrote in a memo to employees regarding the cuts, which will affected 1,000 employees across the broader company.

“These decisions are not a reflection of their contributions, or of the overall strength of the company. Rather, they reflect our continual evaluation of how to more effectively manage our resources and reinvest in our businesses.”

One of the hardest-hit areas will be the visual development unit at Marvel Studios, the award-winning team responsible for shaping the signature look of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The group — made up of illustrators, character designers and other creative specialists — played a key role in defining blockbuster titles such as “The Avengers,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Daredevil.”

Insiders say nearly the entire department has been eliminated, leaving behind only a small core staff tasked with coordinating freelance and contract workers on a project-by-project basis. Many of those affected had spent years — in some cases more than a decade — helping build Marvel’s visual identity.

Some of the affected artists are expected to continue working with the studio in a freelance capacity, though without the stability of full-time roles.

Word of the cuts began spreading Tuesday through internal channels and social media, catching many in the industry off guard.

Marvel had already undergone a smaller round of layoffs last year, but this latest shake-up marks one of the most significant restructurings in the company’s recent history.

The layoffs come as Disney scales back Marvel’s production pipeline following years of rapid expansion across film and streaming. Executives have signaled a shift toward fewer, more focused releases after criticism that the superhero giant had oversaturated audiences.

The move adds to a growing wave of job losses across entertainment and media, as studios and production companies grapple with rising costs and changing audience habits.

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