Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige will now be reporting directly to Disney chairman Alan Horn, as opposed to the CEO of Marvel Entertainment.
The basic summary of this story: Kevin Feige just seriously levelled up.
The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Kevin Feige, king president of Marvel Studios and general “showrunner” of the MCU, has wrestled more creative control… from Marvel.
Feige will now report to Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn, as opposed to what THR calls the “infamously micromanaging” Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Perlmutter, who was allegedly obsessed with secrecy, and generally difficult to work with.
Marvel Studios was sold to Disney in 2009, and this power shuffle will bring them further under the Disney umbrella, making them comparable to Lucasfilm and Pixar (less autonomous, but still their own distinct franchises).
Related: In the wake of Fantastic Four: Is the superhero movie a director’s or a studio’s medium?
“Marvel Studios is taking the next logical step in its integration with The Walt Disney Studios,” a Disney spokesperson said, “joining Pixar and Lucasfilm in centralizing many of its film-related functions in Burbank, with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and co-president Louis D’Esposito continuing to lead the Marvel Studios team.”
Feige, who is generally credited with the success of Marvel Studios, is reportedly happy with this shift, which he himself has been fighting for.
One source says that Feige has suffered through “several years of frustration” under Perlmutter’s thumb, and that he was not able to operate as freely as he would have liked.
It’s worth noting that Marvel’s TV department, led by Jeph Loeb, will continue to report to Perlmutter. Understandably, this has sparked some concern that the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel’s TV series will become even less cohesive than they already are.
In terms of Marvel’s upcoming movie slate, this shift (which happened last week) likely won’t have any impact on Captain America: Civil War, for which principal photography wrapped last month.
As far as future MCU installments are concerned, Feige’s increased autonomy means that he is, more than ever before, the auteur of the MCU. If you like what he’s doing with the characters and franchises, chances are this shift in power is very good news.
We’ll have to wait and see what Feige’s master plan is, and how he and Alan Horn’s working relationship develops.