We've been given yet another peek behind the curtain that is Marvel Studios.
During an appearance on THR's Awards Chatter podcast, Marvel Chief Creative Officer and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed rumors that long-time executive Ike Perlmutter tended to push back on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's inclusion of diverse characters and stories.
Perlmutter, 78, is the CEO of Marvel Entertainment and has caused controversy in the past for his political leanings, professional eccentricities and racist comments (including an alleged incident where he told merchandising that "black people look the same"). In 2015, the chain of command was changed, allowing Feige to bypass Perlmutter's approval and report directly to Disney chief Alan Horn.
When asked if Perlmutter's views on diversity had to do with the change, Feige said, "That's part of it. There's a lot of sides to the story. You can pick up Bob Iger's book The Ride of a Lifetime to learn more, I highly recommend it, but it made sense at that time. We had made ten movies or more that managerially, there was another way to go."
The process change came just in time to begin production on 2018's Black Panther. That film -- the first superhero blockbuster with an all-black cast -- ended up being a smash hit and was followed the next year by the MCU's first female-led solo film Captain Marvel. Those appear to be only the beginning for the ever-growing universe, whose upcoming releases include the Chinese hero-centered Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and The Eternals, which will include both the MCU's first deaf and gay superheroes. Black Widow, the MCU's original female hero, will also finally be receiving her solo film in May of next year.