Marvel Just Lost Almost Its Entire Visual Development Team

by

Just one month after becoming Disney’s CEO, Josh D’Amaro announced this week that the company will be cutting approximately 1,000 jobs, according to a company-wide memo.

The recent cuts at Marvel Studios have significantly impacted the Visual Development team, a crucial group responsible for designing the look of all Marvel movies and TV shows. They’re especially known for creatively adapting iconic comic book costumes into practical outfits for actors. ScreenCrush has previously interviewed two members of this team: Ryan Meinerding and Andy Park.

I was really shocked to read in Forbes about the layoffs at Disney, especially how much they’ve impacted Marvel. It sounds like pretty much every department is affected – from the people making the movies and TV shows, to the comic book division, and even the financial and legal teams. What’s particularly upsetting is that they’ve let go of almost the entire visual development team that won an Academy Award for their work at Marvel Studios. It’s a huge loss for them, and frankly, for the future of Marvel’s creative vision.

One of those impacted by the layoffs was concept artist and illustrator Wesley Burt, who humorously pointed out on Twitter that he was let go during a one-on-one meeting in a conference room decorated with his own Loki mural.

I was reading Forbes, and they said something really interesting about Marvel. Apparently, instead of keeping a lot of full-time artists on staff for design work, they’ve streamlined things. They kept a small core team to manage projects, but they’re now planning to hire freelance artists as needed for each movie and show. So, they’ve moved away from having a lot of salaried employees in visual development and are leaning more towards a flexible, project-by-project approach with freelance talent.

In announcing the company’s layoffs, D’Amaro wrote…

For the past few months, we’ve been working to improve how we operate across Disney to continue delivering the high-quality creativity and innovation our fans expect. To stay competitive in our rapidly changing industries, we need to build a more flexible and tech-savvy team for the future. This means we’re unfortunately eliminating some positions, and we’ve already started informing those affected.

As a huge Marvel fan, I’m already marking my calendar! Spider-Man’s getting a fresh start with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, hitting theaters July 31st. And if that wasn’t enough, we’ll get Avengers: Doomsday in December, on the 17th. It’s going to be a great end to the year for Marvel movies!

10 Movies That People Believe Might Be Cursed

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Although The Wizard of Oz isn’t a horror film – unless you were scared of the flying monkeys as a kid! – it’s famous for having a remarkably troubled production. There were many problems: the original Tin Man, Buddy Ebsen, and Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch, both became ill from their makeup. Several stunt performers were injured – some flying monkeys fell when their wires snapped, and the Wicked Witch’s double hurt her leg when her broom exploded. Even one of the dogs playing Toto was accidentally stepped on!

While many stories about the set are likely exaggerations, the challenging conditions led to talk of a curse. However, a lot of the issues probably stemmed from the fact that The Wizard of Oz was pushing the boundaries of filmmaking with techniques that hadn’t been tried before. Some chaos was almost inevitable.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

It feels like a trope to call a movie about the devil’s child “cursed,” but many believe something sinister plagued the making of Rosemary’s Baby. The novel’s author, Ira Levin, suffered a mental breakdown after facing criticism from religious groups and a divorce following the film’s release. Producer William Castle was hospitalized with kidney stones due to the stress of receiving hateful mail. Another producer was convicted of drug trafficking and almost implicated in a murder. The composer, Krzysztof Komeda, tragically fell off a cliff, lapsed into a coma, and died – a fate mirroring a murder method from the movie itself. Roman Polanski’s wife, Sharon Tate, whom he had considered for the film, was murdered by the Manson Family a year later. Polanski himself now lives as a fugitive after being accused of sexual assault. Even John Lennon’s murder was linked to the film, as it occurred outside the Dakota building, where Rosemary’s Baby was filmed.

The Exorcist (1973)

The film The Exorcist, another classic horror movie dealing with demons, is famous for the unusual number of problems that occurred during its production. Beyond typical on-set issues like a statue being misplaced, a set fire, and crew members getting sick while filming in Iraq, the movie took a real toll on its stars. Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn both suffered back injuries performing demanding stunts, and Mercedes McCambridge, who provided the demon’s voice, damaged her voice by drinking alcohol after years of sobriety. Sadly, after filming wrapped, several actors and crew members, along with some of their family members, passed away. There were also strange coincidences: the mothers of the director, William Friedkin, and the writer, William Peter Blatty, both died a few years prior, leading some to speculate Blatty was attempting to connect with his mother’s spirit during filming. The film’s release caused a public uproar, with reports of moviegoers fainting, vomiting, and fleeing the theaters.

The Omen (1976)

When people talk about movies with a strange history, The Omen always comes up. There are so many unsettling stories surrounding the film that even non-believers find them hard to ignore. During production, lightning nearly struck four people, including star Gregory Peck. Peck and crew members almost booked a flight that later crashed, killing everyone on board – including the pilot’s family. Producer and director Richard Donner barely escaped IRA bombings. A zookeeper was killed by a lion (or tiger, depending on who you ask) shortly after filming took place at the zoo. Tragically, special effects designer Liz Moore died in a car accident that mirrored a death scene in the movie. Even documentaries about the original film and its 2006 remake experienced unexplained incidents.

Superman (1978)

While not a curse on the man himself, the role of Superman seems to be linked to misfortune for those who play him. The idea of a “Superman curse” started with Kirk Alyn, the first on-screen Superman, whose career stalled after his 1940s serials, forcing him to take on less glamorous work. George Reeves, known for Superman and the Mole Men and the TV series, faced similar struggles, and his death raised questions and fueled conspiracy theories. Christopher Reeve, after starring in four Superman films, battled typecasting and tragically became paralyzed after a horse-riding accident. Many other people involved in Superman movies and shows have also experienced hardship, leading some to believe in this alleged curse.

Poltergeist (1982)

The movie Poltergeist has been linked to a supposed curse due to two tragic events. Dominique Dunne, who played the oldest daughter in the first film, was tragically killed by her former boyfriend shortly after the movie’s release. Then, Heather O’Rourke, the young actress who played Carol Anne in all three Poltergeist films, died unexpectedly at age 12 just months before the third movie premiered. While some believe these deaths are evidence of a curse – a topic even covered on E! True Hollywood Story – others suggest they highlight the pressures and dangers faced by young actors who achieve early fame.

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

Laura Harrington, who starred in Stephen King’s disastrous directorial debut, the horror film Maximum Overdrive, once described the set as feeling dangerous. Several factors contributed to the film’s problems. King struggled to effectively communicate his vision to the cast and crew, and his admitted substance abuse issues didn’t help. Creative disagreements with producer Dino De Laurentiis – King wanted Bruce Springsteen in the lead role, but De Laurentiis cast Emilio Estevez – added to the difficulties. A dangerous on-set accident involving a lawnmower injuring the cinematographer, and a production delay caused by a hurricane, further plagued the film. This combination of issues led some to believe the production was cursed, but it was likely just a troubled shoot with a first-time director who happened to be a master of horror writing.

The Crow (1994)

The movie The Crow is often called cursed, and for good reason. Beyond the tragic death of its lead actor, the production was plagued by a series of bizarre and unfortunate events. Before filming even began, the filmmakers received a threatening voicemail warning of disaster if they proceeded. Soon after, an electrician suffered severe burns, losing his ears in an electrical fire, and a hurricane demolished the film’s backlot set. Then came the accidental death of Brandon Lee, which led to major changes in film safety protocols. Many fans noticed the eerie parallels between the film’s dark themes and the real-life tragedies that occurred during production, solidifying The Crow’s reputation as a movie forever linked to offscreen tragedy.

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

The making of The Passion of the Christ was plagued with problems, leading some to wonder if forces were trying to prevent the film from being completed. Lead actor Jim Caviezel endured a particularly difficult shoot, dislocating his shoulder while filming the cross-carrying scene, being accidentally whipped, suffering from hypothermia, and even being struck by lightning during the Sermon on the Mount. It’s amazing they didn’t halt production after all that! (Assistant director Jan Michelini was also struck by lightning, twice!) Despite the troubles, the film became a huge financial success, suggesting that, in the end, things worked out as they should. What’s given can also be taken away.

Annabelle (2014)

Strange events occurred during the filming of many of the Conjuring films and related movies, and it’s hard to say if these were caused by actual hauntings, curses, or just the power of suggestion on a scary movie set. The filming of Annabelle was especially unsettling. Director John R. Leonetti reported repeatedly finding three fingerprints in dust, as if the doll itself had touched things. On the first day of filming, an actor playing a demon was even hit on the head by a falling light fixture. Thankfully, the doll never actually came to life! Even skeptics might start believing in curses after something like that.

Read More

2026-04-15 18:57