Marvel Layoffs 2026: Workforce Slashed by 8% as Disney Moves Ahead With 1,000 Job Cuts

Tuesday marked the start of a wave of job cuts at Disney that will eventually reach 1,000 staff, hitting Marvel and various publicity teams particularly hard.

The shake-up has even touched the upper echelons of the marketing department, with several key deputies reporting to Asad Ayaz, the brand's chief officer, also losing their roles.

Wide-Ranging Cuts Hit Marketing and Publicity

The workforce reduction claimed 20 members of the publicity staff, alongside the total dissolution of the home entertainment unit, which operated under Chris Bess, the executive director of global marketing communications. The creative content team responsible for electronic press kits was also dismissed, including its director, Natalie Clunis.

The cull across digital marketing spared no one, removing roles at every tier, including the global senior vice president, Dustin Sandoval. Mike Reeder, who served as the director of the digital department, was also among those who lost their positions. 'About 8% of the workforce has been let go, I hear,' Nellie Andreeva, Editor-In-Chief of Deadline, claimed in a new report.

Marvel Restructures Production and Operations

While the redundancies hit Marvel as well, Disney has pushed back against claims that the cuts reached 8% of the staff, informing TheWrap that the actual figure is significantly lower. Nevertheless, these departures affected Marvel employees in both New York and Burbank, touching nearly every corner of the business, from film and TV production to the legal, finance, comics, and franchise departments.

Sources informed TheWrap that these cuts stem from a scaled-back Marvel production schedule, which had previously been inflated to meet the high demand for Disney+ content. The move also reflects the logistical benefits of merging Marvel Entertainment into Marvel Studios, alongside a broader push for leaner operations and tighter budget control.

High-Profile Exits and Impact on Representation

The departure of digital marketing senior vice president Sandoval is especially striking, as he was a top deputy for Ayaz and a 16-year veteran of the firm. He spearheaded digital campaigns for massive blockbusters such as Avengers: Endgame and Avatar: The Way of Water, and was celebrated for inventive stunts like dispatching apes on horseback to promote Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. As one of the most prominent Latino executives in the industry, his exit marks a significant loss for representation in Hollywood's upper ranks.

While Pixar and the New York film publicity office remained untouched, the creative advertising branch took a hit, losing Steve Nuchols, the man behind the print campaigns for almost every Disney release over the last quarter-century. Also departing is Theresa Helmer, who led the brand's digital and YouTube initiatives in her role as vice president.

A Strategic Shift Toward Technology

In a Tuesday morning memo to Disney employees, Josh D'Amaro explained that the new, unified brand organisation aims to reach audiences more effectively. He noted that the company has spent recent months finding ways to sharpen operations across various sectors to maintain the high level of innovation and creativity fans anticipate.

Because the industry evolves so rapidly, he stressed the need for a more nimble, tech-driven team ready for future challenges. Consequently, several positions are being cut, and those affected have started receiving notice.

The exact meaning of a 'technologically-enabled workforce' remains vague, particularly since Disney ended an expensive and high-profile partnership with OpenAI earlier this year following the closure of Sora. Recently, the company has highlighted its use of an AI tool called JARVIS—inspired by Tony Stark's virtual assistant—within Walt Disney Imagineering. This system is designed to help the team behind Disney's theme parks, cruises, and attractions easily navigate and retrieve historical data from the division's extensive archives.

D'Amaro added that the business still holds respect and empathy as core values. He emphasised that as the company undergoes this shift, the main focus is helping those losing their jobs by providing the necessary resources, advice, and direct assistance to help them move forward.