Marvel is the latest Disney-owned company to receive a reduction in force from the mouse. This downsizing operation has resulted in cutting three of the six people comprising Marvel’s internal podcast unit.
The team was responsible for producing companion and pop culture podcasts such as Women of Marvel, The History of Marvel, This Week in Marvel, among others. One of the three members given their notice has already exited the company, with the remaining two set to leave by the end of the month.
An anonymous employee told The Verge that Marvel did not provide a clear reason for the layoffs but indicated that Disney played a part in the decision to eliminate the positions. Prior to the layoffs, the podcast team had proposed a plan to reduce costs, including the termination of Marvel’s Pull List podcast. However, this effort was insufficient to change the decision.
Marvel and SiriusXM, in 2019, initiated a multi-year contract to produce scripted and unscripted podcasts, granting SiriusXM subscribers early or exclusive access to Marvel’s podcasts. The most recent collaboration between the two was the scripted fiction podcast, Marvel’s Wastelanders, released in December 2022. It is understood that the conclusion of the latest Wastelanders season earlier this year marked the end of the SiriusXM’s agreement with Marvel.
This wave of layoffs is part of a broader Disney strategy to reduce expenses, which has significantly impacted various audio properties under the corporation most notably at ESPN Radio. In April, National Geographic, majority-owned by Disney, also dismissed numerous audio employees, including the Overheard podcast team, followed by further cuts to the remaining audio team and all staff writers.
