The Walt Disney Company has launched another major round of layoffs, cutting approximately 1,000 positions across its media divisions. Marvel Studios is expected to carry a substantial share of the reductions.
The announcement was delivered to employees in a company memo from Disney’s new chief executive officer, Josh D’Amaro.
In the message, D’Amaro said the company is making the cuts to “streamline operations” as it reorganizes several areas of the business.
Employees affected by the layoffs work across multiple segments of Disney’s media empire, including film production, television networks, and sports operations.
Disney said the decision follows a review of internal operations conducted over recent months.
“Over the past several months, we have looked at ways in which we can streamline our operations in various parts of the company to ensure we deliver the world-class creativity and innovation our fans value and expect from Disney,” the memo said.
The company also pointed to rapid changes in the entertainment sector as a factor behind the move.
“Given the fast-moving pace of our industries, this requires us to constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs,” the memo continued.
Disney confirmed that affected employees are already being informed.
“As a result, we will be eliminating roles in some parts of the company and have begun notifying impacted employees.”
Marvel Studios is expected to experience some of the most significant losses in the restructuring.
Reports indicate roughly 8 percent of Marvel’s workforce will be eliminated.
The reductions reportedly extend into film and television production, comics operations, franchise management, finance departments, and legal teams.
According to Forbes, nearly all staff members in Marvel’s visual development division are expected to be dismissed.
That division includes artists, illustrators, and specialists who help shape the early creative direction of Marvel projects.
The same report said only a small skeleton crew of full-time employees is expected to remain in that unit.
The latest cuts come after Disney previously announced lower production output at Marvel Studios.
Disney had also disclosed earlier cost-cutting efforts and separate workforce reductions before this latest announcement.
D’Amaro addressed the impact on staff directly in his memo.
“I know this is hard,” D’Amaro added.
“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.”
Disney has not released a detailed division-by-division count of how many positions will be eliminated.
The company also has not publicly stated when the full layoff process will conclude.
Marvel Studios has been one of Disney’s most prominent entertainment assets for years, making the size of the reported cuts notable within the broader restructuring.
The layoffs represent another major shift as Disney continues reshaping operations across its media businesses.
