Disney CEO Bob Iger has stated that Marvel Entertainment chairman Ike Perlmutter is still holding a grudge over not being able to fire Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige back in 2015.Following Disney's recent Q1 earnings call, Iger took part in several interviews, with his comments on Perlmutter being shared on Twitter by CNBC media reporter Alex Sherman. Perlmutter was apparently intent on firing Feige in 2015 for reasons that were not disclosed in the interview. However, Iger stepped in to stop it, moving Marvel Studios out from under Perlmutter's control and making it a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios. Perlmutter was angry about the move in 2015 and Iger believes that "unhappiness exists today."
Feige, who was promoted to Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment in October 2019, has been an instrumental part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since its inception. The multi-billion dollar shared universe was launched in 2008 with the one-two punch of Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. While the rest of the Phase 1 films, including an Iron Man sequel, were profitable, it wasn't until 2012's Marvel's The Avengers that the MCU truly exploded, with the superhero crossover film grossing over $1.5 billion at the box office. Feige has since overseen every phase of the MCU, which have collectively been titled "The Infinity Saga" (Phases 1 to 3) and "The Multiverse Saga" (Phases 4 to 6).
Kevin Feige Promises More Standalone MCU Films
While "The Infinity Saga" did feature characters and storylines crossing over between the solo films, they were mostly standalone adventures that viewers could watch without knowledge of the wider MCU. So far, "The Multiverse Saga" has abandoned that approach, with Loki, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania all laying the groundwork for the next set of crossover films -- Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. However, Feige recently promised fans that "like the Infinity Saga, there'll be standalone films within the next two phases" that will seemingly be unconnected to the ongoing Multiverse storyline.
With Phase 4 having officially concluded with the release of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Marvel Studios is gearing up to begin the next phase of the Multiverse Saga with the forthcoming release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Set after the events of 2019's Avengers: Endgame, the MCU threequel finds the titular superhero duo exploring the Quantum Realm with Hope’s parents Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne and Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond their limits and pit them against Kang the Conqueror.
Directed by Peyton Reed, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens in theaters on Feb. 17.
Source: Twitter