Ithaca College alumnus Bob Iger left the position of Chief Executive Officer at the Walt Disney Company early in 2026, with Josh D’Amaro stepping into the role. Just a few short months into his tenure as CEO, D’Amaro has begun laying off 1,000 employees in an attempt to streamline operations. This comes after many other cost-cutting measures since 2022, including previous workforce reductions at Disney. While the layoffs affect all departments of the company, one studio that is hit particularly hard is Marvel Studios.
According to reports, nearly the entire visual development team at Marvel has been cut in the recent layoffs. The role of the visual development team is to produce early concept art and character designs and to establish a cohesive visual direction for the movies prior to filming. All that remains is a skeleton crew to coordinate the hiring of freelancers on a per-project basis rather than having a large in-house team at all times.
The layoffs come during a shift at Marvel. Following the box office successes and cultural phenomena that were Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Marvel opted for the rapid expansion of their cinematic universe. Beginning in 2021 with WandaVision, the studio began releasing multiple Disney+ series per year in addition to an increased cinema lineup. As a result, a primary complaint became the oversaturation of the superhero genre the Marvel Cinematic Universe entirely. Leaders at Disney are responding by cutting back on the number of projects being released at Marvel and the production of quality media, which will turn a profit. The recent layoffs in the visual development department are a reflection of this development. An in-house team for visual development would be necessary for Marvel to continue releasing content at the rate it has been; however, in the name of profitability, hiring on a per-project basis would be more cost-effective in the studio's current capacity.
The laying off of nearly the entire visual development team is significant in Marvel’s case, as they assisted in shaping the MCU’s visual landscape for well over a decade. One of the appeals of Marvel was how centralized it felt, whether that be the characters appearing in each other's movies or there being a certain style that felt like ‘Marvel.’ This consistent approach to the making of MCU films allowed audiences to feel that this was a shared world, bigger than one singular film, and that each project was connected. Over time, however, this became one of the studio's biggest critiques, as directors were pigeon-holed into adhering to the Marvel style with little room to venture elsewhere.
With that in mind, the shift away from an in-house visual development team could optimistically lead to more creativity in the filmmaking process over MCU entries. With Marvel saying they would hire on a per-project basis for visual development, this means that directors would be able to have more control over how their movies look and feel. Marvel has been slowly implementing this recently, with Eternals in 2021, Werewolf by Night in 2022 and most recently, the revival of Daredevil: Born Again in 2025. Each of these MCU entries deviated from the Marvel formula and, although not perfect, felt distinct. A more decentralized approach to Marvel filmmaking can help these films stand alone better, in addition to being a part of a shared universe, rather than a factory producing superhero blockbusters.
From a pessimistic perspective, the in-house visual development team is what contributed to Marvel movies feeling like a cinematic universe and not a bunch of comic adaptations. The main gripe of the DC Extended Universe was its lack of cohesion. There was no unified look that said, ‘each of these films is a part of the same universe.’ The consistency of Marvel made it easier for a general audience to remain invested in these recurring characters because they felt similar enough between each film. In trying to address one problem — the financial aspect of having an in-house team — Marvel risks losing what made their studio so robust.
D’Amaro’s decision has to be influenced by the sheer cost of having full-time employees dedicated to Marvel’s visual development. A shift towards freelance artists working on each individual Marvel project allows Disney to only have as many visual development employees as it needs based on the current projects in development. This model is all about efficiency, ensuring that people are not waiting idly between projects while also allowing for quick expansion of the visual development department if need be. However, this raises concerns over job security and the development of talent in the film industry if there is no longer a structured position for these types of artists.
The question of technological developments must be mentioned. Disney has recently made numerous attempts at becoming more technologically advanced, having a $1 billion investment in Sora AI until the program was set to shut down. Even if the layoffs are not directly linked to the advancement of artificial intelligence, it is a concern that must be mentioned. Disney has shown interest in streamlining the filmmaking process through the use of AI and will likely be trying again in the future, working out other ways to reduce costs.
The layoffs are indicative of a broader shift in how filmmaking will have to operate. The cost of making a movie is an exorbitant price, and moving towards efficiency in the process is something studios are going to prioritize. In Disney and Marvel’s case, that means fewer projects, more freelance artists and a studio model that prioritizes the ability to be flexible over the need for a stable workplace. What is now going to be tested is whether this new approach can allow for the creative freedom of filmmakers while also feeling like a cohesive universe. Additionally, it raises the larger concern of how much streamlining of the filmmaking process can occur before the impact and human touch of art is lost.
‘Fine Print’ is a column analyzing how business and legal forces impact our enjoyment of arts and entertainment.
Brayden Rogers is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a columnist for the Arts & Culture department and can be reached at brogers@cornellsun.com.
