Brian Waggoner, Marvel’s lead designer, was fired after a series of offensive, racist, homophobic, etc. tweets. have been discovered by fans. As such, Crystal Dynamics has announced that he will be removed from his role as company spokesperson, but remains silent on his future.
The tweets included various “jokes” based on racist stereotypes, ableist slurs aimed at people with disabilities, questionable “talking points” for the far right, including Barack Obama’s usual citizenship trope, and more.
Brian Wagoner has been with Crystal Dynamics for a few years, and in addition to his input and creative control over the Marvel’s Avengers game, he has also been active in the company as a spokesperson. It now appears to be over, with Crystal Dynamics no doubt realizing that someone with such a checkered past as the face of their company may not be the best PR move, especially with the expansion to come for Marvel’s Avengers.
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Following the announcement of his removal as spokesperson, Brian Wagoner tweeted below.
https://twitter.com/HeyItsBWags/status/1594847500061802496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1594847500061802496%7Ctwgr%5E058e595850608edec6311f8b7e8bd2cfb6ed54ed%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ign.com%2Farticles% 2Fmarvels-avengers-lead-designer-removed-as-spokesperson-after-offensive-tweets-surface
Quoting the above tweet in their response, Crystal Dynamics assured that they didn’t hide from the controversy, addressing it head-on, saying “It is incredibly disappointing to see employee language and opinions that do not align with our studio values. We apologize to our community and colleagues who are rightly upset with the content. Brian will no longer be a studio spokesperson or will no longer communicate on studio projects..
Marvel’s Lead Designer Fired – James Gunn 2.0?
Now Marvel fans will be no stranger to a public figure in their fandom having a controversial moment or two, the most recent being the shooting of James Gunn in 2018, where he himself had a controversial relationship on social media. , posting various jokes and comments that went against the social convention of what was acceptable.
Unlike this occasion, the most recent of Gunn’s offensive tweets dated back to 2010 and had in previous years shown his inclusive attitude towards all walks of life, and apparently left behind the cutting-edge “comedy” he had found. employed at the time.
In this case, although Brian Waggoner’s offensive tweets date back only five years, and although great growth can be accomplished in a much shorter time, it’s less obvious to fans whether anything has actually changed. , or if he’s just saying what he’s supposed to say at this point. controversial moment in his career.
With Marvel’s lead designer fired from his role as the company’s spokesperson, the question remains whether he will stay with the company or be fired altogether. Ultimately, it’s not like it has a successful franchise behind it to give it any sort of buffer, with Marvel’s Avengers being considered one of the worst superhero games in recent years.
Related: Marvel’s Midnight Suns: Everything You Need To Know
The debate will always rage about free speech, social media and whether people should be ‘cancelled’ for something they said or did years ago, but something that doesn’t. up for debate is that being racist, ableist, homophobic and more is not right.
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