In an interview with the NYT Dealbook Summit 2023, current Disney CEO Bob Iger gave his statement regarding the recent drop in Marvel’s financial and critical success. According to him, the situation was caused by a lack of supervision, more streaming, and project dilution.
Most of Marvel’s films have received middling to lackluster success at the box office and with critics, especially evident in their recent venture The Marvels with just $47 million in domestic earnings. In his comments at the summit, Iger blamed the film’s seemingly lower quality on the lack of executive supervision resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Iger, the pandemic prevented executives from “really looking over what’s being done day after day.”
Even so, Iger noted that the company seems to have conditioned audiences to expect quick releases to streaming platforms after theatrical release. More than likely, most people are more willing to watch a new film from the comfort of home than at a theater. Over the past several years, “the experience of accessing… and watching them in the home is better than” years prior. Iger didn’t comment on how Disney plans to adjust to this new technology, but he promised to shake down Marvel and deliver quality films.
In his interview, Iger stated that the recent slew of Marvel movies after Endgame had diluted the overall quality of each film. He noted that the studio had “made too many” sequels, burning out and exhausting their audiences. Because of this, Iger promised to focus on artistic integrity and limit sequels to those that “have a reason…beyond commerce.” While Disney is still working on greenlit franchise sequels, Iger promised that the company would approve of sequels “worth telling” from then on.
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