NEWS: Disney Fined $36,000 in Death of Marvel Series Crew Member

Disney has been fined for the death of a crew member on the set of a Marvel production.

©Marvel

In 2022, the live-action Wonder Man series was first announced as entering development. The Disney+ series stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the titular superhero, otherwise known as Simon Williams. Simon is the son of an industrialist who assumes control of his father’s company which competes with Tony Stark’s Stark Industries.

On February 6th, 2024, lighting technician Juan Carlos Osorio died in a fall while working on the set of Wonder Man. Production had been delayed due to the 2023 writers’ strike, so the series was not filming at the time of the incident.

Osorio, 41, was collecting and removing lighting cable equipment high up on Stage 3 at Radford Studio Center in Studio City when the section of the catwalk he was working on suddenly collapsed.

©Marvel

A CAL/OSHA investigation found that the catwalk had a deteriorated section of wood, which was improperly nailed to a roof support. According to the investigation summary, “The deteriorated ledger was weakened likely due to age, environmental conditions, and repeated stress loads over many decades. As the crew walked along the catwalks, the employee [Osorio] stood on the weakened section of catwalk. Suddenly, and without warning, the ledger supporting the floorboard broke apart and collapsed as the employee was standing on this section of catwalk. The employee fell 41 feet and forcefully impacted the ground below.”

The workplace safety agency issued two “serious” citations to Disney, through its production entity, Ionic Productions, each with a penalty of $18,000, for a total of $36,000.

©Disney

CAL/OSHA also issued two citations to Radford Studio Center, both for $22,500, bringing the total penalties for both companies to $81,000. The companies have 15 business days to appeal to the Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board. Disney is expected to appeal but declined to comment at this time.

Osorio’s widow, Joanne Osorio-Wu, and mother, Zoila Osorio, have also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Radford Studio Center, seeking unspecified damages. The suit alleges that the facility knew, or should have known, that the catwalks “were in a dilapidated condition and in desperate need of repair.”