Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicAfter yesterday’s Morgan Stanley conference in San Francisco, Disney CEO Bob Iger recently made some devastating revelations. Along with admitting to canceling multiple projects that he “no longer believed in,” it was revealed that the Marvel Cinematic Universe might have taken the biggest hit in a wave of cancellations.
Despite garnering some acclaim from projects like Loki on Disney+ and even the highly successful Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Marvel Studios has been through some choppy waters that continue to rock the franchise. While many quickly point the finger at “superhero fatigue,” Iger has a different perspective and admits the fault lies with the company for making “bad films.”
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The Hollywood Reporter shared many of Iger’s statements from the conference, but his pushback against the idea of superhero fatigue could reshape the entirety of one of the studio’s most profitable entities.
Bob Iger Conquers the Marvel Multiverse
Iger stated,
“A lot of people think it’s audience fatigue, it’s not audience fatigue. They want great films. And if you build it great, they will come and there are countless examples of that. Some are ours and some are others’. Oppenheimer is a perfect example of that. Just a fantastic film… Focus is really important. We reduced the output of Marvel, both number of films they make and the number of TV shows, and that really becomes critical, but I feel good about the team…”
The statement above is very telling, given the recent reports from the Disney studios. As both Disney and Marvel struggle to recover from the cinematic and financial shortcomings of The Marvels (2024), the “reduced” Marvel films and TV shows might be a bigger bite out of the MCU than fans know. Iger might not believe in audience fatigue, but he’s clearly sensible enough to call out things that do not work.
At the time of writing, multiple Marvel projects are still frozen in development hell, such as the Mahershala Ali Blade reboot, or have been pushed back amidst studio conflicts like Captain America: Brave New World (2025). The fact that Iger is saying this after the fact is highly suspicious. Who knows what else might have fallen amidst the culling?
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While the CEO didn’t go as far as naming names during the conference, it’s enough to get many Marvel fans (this writer included) up on their hackles in apprehension for the fate of the Marvel Multiverse. Even so, some comfort can still be found in Iger’s statements. Along with the reveal above, Iger also said that he “felt good” about the projects ahead and that he was establishing a better relationship with the creatives involved.
Days of Future Past?
Do these statements mean the franchise is doomed? More than likely not, but it will drastically affect how things are done at Marvel Studios in the foreseeable future. Die-hard fans will still be getting their fix this year, as Deadpool and Wolverine (2024) is still slated to be the studio’s summer blockbuster, and the rest of the year is stacked with series releases like X-Men ’97, Agatha: Darhold Diaries, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man coming to Disney+.
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At the end of the day, the CEO has finally heard the outcry of the fans, and big changes are coming to the Walt Disney Company, and they will have results. As to which previously announced Marvel project(s) could or will get the ax… only Iger knows for sure.
Has this turn of events rocked the multiverse? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!