Wonder Man: Disney Fined for Crew Member’s Death on Marvel Series

Disney has been fined $36,000 over the accidental death of a crew member who was working on Marvel’s Wonder Man series. On Friday, reports indicated that the studio has received two penalties of $18,000 each in the investigation of the death of lighting technician J.C. “Spike” Osorio, after he passed away due to a fall on the series’ Studio City set. The incident occurred on February 6th of this year at the Radford Studio Center, with the subsequent Cal/OSHA investigation finding that a catwalk had deteriorated and rotten wood, which had been improperly nailed in place. The Radford Studio Center was also issued two citations of $22,500, and both companies have fifteen business days to appeal to the Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board. Following Osorio’s death in February, a number of studios have reportedly already upgraded their catwalks to ensure safer working conditions.

“The deteriorated ledger was weakened likely due to age, environmental conditions and repeated stress loads over many decades,” the investigative summary reads. “As the crew walked along the catwalks, the employee 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.”

This comes as Osorio’s family had already issued a wrongful death lawsuit against the Radford Studio Center earlier this year, alleging that the facility should have been aware of the catwalk’s condition. The specific damages of that lawsuit are currently unspecified.

“The citations issued by OSHA against Radford Studio Center confirm that Mr. Osorio’s death was 100% preventable,” the family’s lawyer, Erika Contreras, told Variety. “It also confirms Radford Studio Center failed in its non-delegable duty to properly maintain, repair and inspect its premises. Unfortunately, Mr. Osorio paid the ultimate price for Radford’s failure.”

Wonder Man will star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams / Wonder Man, a character who is often known in the comics for his dual professions as a superhero and a Hollywood actor. The series also stars Demetrius Grosse as Grim Reaper, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, and Lauren Glazier and Byron Bowers in a currently-unknown role. The ten-episode series will be directed by The Spectacular Now and Shrinking‘s James Ponsoldt, The Photograph‘s Stella Meghie, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ Destin Daniel Cretton, who is directing and executive producing the show through his first-look deal with Marvel.