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Credit: Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Inside the MagicDisney films have forged an enduring legacy, captivating audiences across generations. The Walt Disney Company’s unwavering dedication to creativity, innovation, and heartfelt storytelling has firmly integrated its movies into the tapestry of popular culture, ensuring their timeless appeal for years to come.
Since the groundbreaking release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, Disney has consistently produced a remarkable series of beloved classics, such as The Lion King (1994), Beauty and the Beast (1992), Frozen (2013), and even brought their theme park rides to life, like in Pirates of the Caribbean (2003-present) — among many others.
Related: Upcoming ‘Avengers’ Movie Will Reboot the Entire MCU Universe
These films have not only entertained multiple generations but also pushed the boundaries of animation and narrative techniques. Disney’s steadfast commitment to excellence and their ability to craft enchanting worlds have earned them an immense and devoted global following. Now, it seems like the company’s reputation is about to take a big hit.
What is Marvel Studios?
Kevin Feige has served as the President of Marvel Studios for many years now. Throughout his leadership, he has overseen the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which is currently under the ownership of The Walt Disney Company. The MCU has left a substantial mark on the superhero film genre and the entire film industry, regardless of varying opinions about it. The expansive narrative, known as the Infinity Saga, reached its zenith with the highly anticipated releases of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), marking the conclusion of Phase Three.
As Robert Downey Jr.’s iconic Tony Stark/Iron Man bid farewell with a heroic sacrifice to defeat Thanos (played by Josh Brolin) and Chris Evans passed on his role as Steve Rogers/Captain America by entrusting the Captain America mantle to a new hero, the MCU has embarked on a fresh chapter called the Multiverse Saga.
What is the Star Wars Franchise?
Star Wars is the iconic space opera media franchise conceived by George Lucas, commencing with the eponymous 1977 film, and swiftly ascending to become a global pop culture sensation. Star Wars has expanded into various films and diverse media forms, encompassing television series, video games, novels, comic books, theme park attractions, and immersive themed areas, creating an all-encompassing fictional universe. Star Wars stands as one of the most lucrative media franchises in history.
The original 1977 film, later retroactively titled Episode IV: A New Hope, was succeeded by the sequels Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), establishing the initial Star Wars trilogy. Lucas subsequently revisited the series, taking on the prequel trilogy, consisting of Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). In 2012, Lucas made the pivotal decision to sell his production company to Disney, transferring ownership of the franchise. This transition ushered in a sequel trilogy, encompassing Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
Collectively, these nine films are often referred to as the Skywalker Saga and garnered multiple Academy Award nominations, with the first two installments securing wins. When combined with the theatrical live-action “anthology” films Rogue One (2016) and Solo (2018), the collective box office earnings of the franchise surpassed a staggering $10 billion, solidifying Star Wars as the third-highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
Related: Director Has Departed Marvel Franchise Following Studio Executives’ Dirty Tactics
How Did Disney Sabotage Their Own Franchises?
Following last year’s internal upheaval at Disney, which saw the removal of then-CEO Bob Chapek (who had succeeded Bob Iger) in favor of Bob Iger’s return, the current Disney leadership seems to be preparing for substantial changes. While Chapek concentrated on expanding Disney’s media reach by spearheading Disney+ and a robust lineup of Disney+ Originals featuring Marvel Studios’ MCU and Lucasfilm’s Star Wars content, it appears that Iger is steering the company in a different direction.
Following a serious dip in perceived quality resulting in less-than-stellar box office takings and reviews, both Star Wars and Marvel Studios content have suffered from growing audience disenchantment. These bastions of culture have been slowly losing relevance as “fatigue” started to settle in.
With a pause in the production of mainline Star Wars films and Kevin Feige scaling back Marvel Cinematic Universe projects, both in television and theatrical releases, Disney has been attempting to correct course.
Now, it appears that some fascinating information is coming to light about The Walt Disney Company’s biggest cash cows.
Cosmic Marvel reported on the information that according to the recently published “MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios” by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards, both Kevin Feige (Marvel Studios) and Kathleen Kennedy (Lucasfilm) were “pressured by Disney” into announcing new projects for Disney’s Investor Day, despite the projects in question being “nowhere near ready”:
Kevin Feige was reportedly pressured by Disney into announcing new Marvel Studios projects, including ‘FANTASTIC FOUR’ and ‘ARMOR WARS’, during Disney’s Investor Day 2020, despite them being “nowhere near ready”.
Kathleen Kennedy was also reportedly pressured into announcing new Lucasfilm projects.
(📚: MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios)
Kevin Feige was reportedly pressured by Disney into announcing new Marvel Studios projects, including ‘FANTASTIC FOUR’ and ‘ARMOR WARS’, during Disney’s Investor Day 2020, despite them being “nowhere near ready”.
Kathleen Kennedy was also reportedly pressured into announcing new… pic.twitter.com/JxHhXGVt9R
— Cosmic Marvel (@cosmic_marvel) October 21, 2023
This has sparked a discussion from members of the public, with many individuals weighing in on this revelation.
User Cole McCormick noted that it is possible that the Star Wars exec Kennedy made those apparent Star Wars mistakes due to Disney’s meddling:
Watch if Kennedys mistakes were really just Disney forcing her had with productions
Watch if Kennedys mistakes were really just Disney forcing her had with productions
— Mr.McCormick⚡️ (@colemccormick1) October 21, 2023
Others like Syed Hassaan Saeed noted that the puzzle pieces are falling into place:
You know what? Things are making a lot more sense now
You know what? Things are making a lot more sense now
— Syed Hassaan Saeed (@Hassaansaeed22) October 21, 2023
Meanwhile, others like @CodyYeYe felt the need to note
The biggest gift and curse marvel ever received was Disney. They helped finish off perfection. But then once they started making choices after endgame.. things went south quick
The biggest gift and curse marvel ever received was Disney. They helped finish off perfection. But then once they started making choices after endgame.. things went south quick
— ThoughtFall (@CodyYeYe) October 21, 2023
Mainly, people are starting to realize that these actions taken by Disney are likely the cause of these two franchises’ “downfalls”:
MCU’s downfall makes more sense now
MCU's downfall makes more sense now
— mango (@neolithicobject) October 22, 2023
On the whole, it appears that Disney themselves are getting the brunt of the blame now, with users like @Luckydragon84 who believe that Disney “messing with things” is the cause of the two major franchises’ lackluster performance — additionally citing the fact that Disney seems to continue playing the “greedy studio” by refusing to pay their SAG (Screen Actors Guild) actors fairly:
We all knew that it was going to be a mess once Disney would eventually step in and start messing with things from both the f those franchise.
And what has happened since?
Exactly what was feared it would be in the first place.Hell, they don’t even pay the SAG members well
We all knew that it was going to be a mess once Disney would eventually step in and start messing with things from both the f those franchise.
And what has happened since?
Exactly what was feared it would be in the first place.Hell, they don’t even pay the SAG members well
— J (@Luckydragon84) October 22, 2023
Right now, it seems like the anger is starting to get levied at parent company Disney rather than the franchises’ respective heads.
Do you think these franchises’ “downfalls” are the fault of Disney directly? Did they truly sabotage themselves trying to capitulate to investors? Share your thoughts in the comments below!