Axis Studios that helped bring Marvel’s Eyes of Wakanda to life has filed for bankruptcy

Behind the phenomenal work of art and storytelling that is Eyes of Wakanda was Axis Studios, a studio that rose from Glasgow with an ambition that outgrew its modest beginnings. A studio that, over two decades shaped the look of blockbuster video games, lent visual firepower to streaming giants, and most recently helped Marvel give life to the animated series Eyes of Wakanda.

Axis Studios built worlds for audiences who would never know its name. Now that studio has fallen. In mid-2024 it entered administration, halting every project and dismissing almost its entire staff. The move placed Axis Studios into formal bankruptcy proceedings in the United Kingdom, meaning the company was already in the process of collapse long before the August 2025 premiere of Eyes of Wakanda. What endures is a body of work that changed how stories move and a sharp grief felt across the animation community.

A hidden powerhouse behind pop culture

Founded in 2000, Axis Animation became a trusted secret of modern entertainment. It specialized first in cinematic trailers for major game publishers, creating sequences that rivaled film. Success in gaming opened doors to television and film, where the studio quietly supported prestige projects while staying invisible to viewers. The work was bold but the brand stayed low, letting directors and global franchises take the spotlight.

Marvel turned to Axis when it needed a fresh way to expand Wakanda’s mythology beyond live action. The result was Eyes of Wakanda, a hand-painted series for Disney+ that stood apart from typical glossy CG.

The show drew from African and diasporic artistry to depict warriors, legends and power with painterly texture and kinetic action. Critics praised the look as one of Marvel’s most daring animated choices. For Axis it felt like a creative peak.

Triumph arrived as the walls cracked

That peak came with harsh reality behind it. The post-pandemic market squeezed mid-sized visual effects companies. Game publishers cut or delayed big cinematic projects. Hollywood labor strikes disrupted production timelines and payment flows. Costs for highly skilled artists climbed while contracts stayed lean. Axis relied on a steady chain of large commissions to keep its complex pipelines alive. When that chain broke, cash reserves vanished fast.

By June 2024 the studio could not meet payroll. Freelancers went unpaid. Leadership tried to secure bridge funding and new deals but found little relief. In July, Axis entered administration, the United Kingdom’s bankruptcy process. One hundred and sixty-two employees were let go at once. Only a handful remained to wind down operations. Production stopped overnight, leaving projects unfinished and a global network of artists suddenly adrift.

The human loss behind the screens

Animation is built by people who trade stability for creativity. At Axis, that meant long hours refining textures, light, and motion so other storytellers could succeed. The company’s fall scattered a team that had learned to push art and technology in ways few studios could match.

For those who poured themselves into Eyes of Wakanda, the timing felt cruel. The series premiered to celebration only months after they lost their jobs. Viewers enjoyed its beauty unaware that the studio behind it no longer existed.

This pattern is common in visual effects. Studios shoulder intense financial risk while clients control budgets and deadlines. Payments can be slow, scope can change without covering added costs, and any disruption reverberates through the pipeline. Talent costs rise as competition for skilled artists grows. Without better protections or fairer contracts, even acclaimed companies can disappear.

What this collapse reveals about the industry

Axis’s bankruptcy is a warning about how modern storytelling is built. Streaming platforms and cinematic universes rely on outside studios for complex visuals but treat them as replaceable vendors. The work is essential yet undervalued. Companies like Axis advance technology, shape culture and deliver unforgettable images without sharing the long-term security of the brands they serve.

The fall also shows how invisible this labor remains. Audiences love the worlds these artists build but rarely know who made them. Eyes of Wakanda will stay on Disney+ for years, praised for its style, while the people who created it scatter. Their contribution risks being reduced to a credit few pause to read.

Beyond Eyes of Wakanda: A legacy that still matters

Despite its end, Axis leaves behind a legacy worth honoring. It changed how games told stories through cinematic sequences. It showed Marvel that animation could break formula and embrace cultural texture. Its alumni will shape new studios and projects, carrying skills forged in a place that demanded excellence.

To remember Axis is to see the real cost of the worlds we love. Great visuals are not born from nothing. They are built by teams who take creative risks while balancing fragile business realities. Their art deserves more than applause. It deserves fair support and sustainable models.

Eyes of Wakanda remains a vivid testament to what Axis achieved. Its beauty is now tinged with loss, a reminder that artistry alone cannot protect a studio from collapse. If the industry wants to keep building universes that move and inspire, it must learn from this ending.

Behind every triumph like Eyes of Wakanda there are artists whose futures depend on more than passion. Without them, the stories we cherish would never come to life.