A tragic incident occurred on Tuesday morning at CBS Radford Studios in Studio City, resulting in the death of a crewmember working on the Marvel Studios series “Wonder Man.”
The individual, identified as a rigger, fell from the rafters.
The name of the deceased has not been disclosed publicly, and this information was initially reported by Deadline.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and friends, and our support is behind the investigation into the circumstances of this accident,” a Marvel spokesperson said in a statement.
The investigating body in this case will be the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, also known as OSHA. Matthew D. Loeb, the president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, expressed his shock and sadness on behalf of the labor union.
“We are working to support our member’s family, and his fellow members and colleagues,” Loeb said in a statement. “Safety on set is our highest priority and we will assist Cal/OSHA in their investigation in any way that we can.”
In recent years, there have been a number of high-profile incidents on film and television sets resulting in injuries and deaths among the crew.
This issue has historically been underreported, but these cases have brought attention to the need for industry reforms and sparked lawsuits.
One such case occurred in 2021 when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on the set of the movie “Rust.”
Actor Alec Baldwin unintentionally discharged a gun that he was pointing at her.
Another tragic incident took place in 2014 when Sarah Jones, a camera assistant, lost her life in a train accident during filming for “Midnight Rider.”
According to a report by The Associated Press in 2016, between 1990 and 2014, at least 43 people died on U.S. sets and over 150 suffered life-altering injuries.
These numbers were compiled from workplace and aviation safety investigations, court records, and news accounts.
Despite these challenges, production for the movie “Wonder Man,” starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, is scheduled to begin next month after being delayed due to last year’s dual Hollywood strikes.
