Bob Iger Continues to Preach Sequels and Slowdowns For Marvel
2023 was undeniably a tough year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the studio had its share of wins with Loki season 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3., Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania struggled at the box office, Secret Invasion was panned by fans and critics alike, and The Marvels was the studio’s first true bomb.
Examining the last year’s wreckage, Disney and Marvel knew something needed to change.
Image Credit: The Walt Disney Company; Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios
A Change in Strategy
Last November, Bob Iger announced that Marvel would be slowing down their output.
The SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes then gave the studio the cover to do just that, with Deadpool 3 being the only Marvel Studios film given a 2024 release date.
Photo: Marvel
Meanwhile, in streaming, Marvel announced that it would overhaul how it made TV. The first fruits of this change came with the announcement of the Marvel Spotlight banner. Shows released under the banner will focus on more “street-level” character-driven stories. Fans will be able to enjoy these streaming shows without having to be caught up with the broader MCU.
Additionally, Marvel will now create its streaming series in a more traditional sense, with anthologized stories and showrunners overseeing the creative process.
Photo: The Direct
Daredevil: Born Again seems to be the first show drastically affected by these changes. After Kevin Feige and other Marvel executives determined that the series was not working midway through production, the show underwent a major creative overhaul. Now, the series is being tied directly back into Netflix’s Daredevil show.
Iger’s Vision For Marve’s Future
During yesterday’s Q1 earnings call, Bob Iger addressed Disney’s box office struggles last year.
“I’d say we’re leaning a little bit more into sequels and franchises. I think given the environment and given what it takes to get people out of their homes to see a film. Leaning on franchises that are familiar is actually a smart thing,” he said.
Bob Iger. Photo: Getty Images
Speaking more directly to Marvel, Iger also once again preached a reduction of volume:
“In our zeal to greatly increase volume partially tied to this wanting to chase more global subs for our streaming platform, some of our studios lost a little focus. So the first step that we’ve taken is that we’ve reduced volume, we reduced output, particularly in Marvel.”
The Marvels. Image: Marvel
While there is no doubt that Marvel Studios has been spread too thin, it is important to note that the two films that struggled at last year’s box office (Quantumania and The Marvels) were both sequels to highly successful films. If you add Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny to the list (not a Marvel property), three of Disney’s biggest disappointments were “sequels and franchises.”
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Photo: Disney
Nevertheless, Marvel Studios clearly needed a pause. Perhaps with the additional time afforded by the Hollywood strikes and the continued patience of Disney, the studio will get itself back on track.
For now, however, all eyes will be on Deadpool 3.
