Fall of the MCU Update

Who would have thought that inside a week of writing my article there were more 'partings' at Marvel, albeit from Marvel Entertainment, which isn't directly linked to the film franchise. As the US business website The Week reported:

"Disney [has] laid off Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter, the chair of Marvel Entertainment. The billionaire was informed over the phone that Marvel Entertainment, which is separate from the film studio Marvel Studios and deals with consumer products, is redundant and will "be folded into larger Disney business units". Disney also reportedly laid off Marvel Entertainment co-president Rob Steffens and chief counsel John Turitzin.

Perlmutter sold Marvel to Disney in 2009, though he has not had a role in its movies in recent years. In 2015, a reorganization led Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige to report to Disney studio chief Alan Horn instead of the "infamously micromanaging" Perlmutter, a move that came after "several years of frustration" on Feige's part."

Now this might not seem unusual or even linked to the MCU and it probably isn't, but it is cleaning out all the old leaving just Kevin Feige remaining, who it has been rumoured was given the full backing of the Disney board, in a move that sounds more Premier League than comic book. However, literally the day after Marvel announced this news, they also released, quietly, details of new cast additions to 2024's Captain America: New World Order and these surprised a few people. 

Harrison Ford will take over the role of Thunderbolt Ross, but probably only for this film as there are big plans for the character that will probably happen during this film. Tim Blake Nelson will return to his role as Samuel Sterns aka The Leader, the gamma-irradiated guy who appeared at the end of The Incredible Hulk and so will Liv Tyler as Betty Ross. There is also talk that Tim Roth will reprise his role as the Abomination and what have you got when you have those people in it? The Incredible Hulk 2 is what you've got. 

Not a film about a black Captain America because Sam will be reduced to playing second fiddle in his own film, but he'll be in a lot of it and will probably save the day. You see, Marvel can't use the Hulk as a lead character until 2025 because of the deal they have with Universal Pictures, who made the previous two Hulk films and still own the title rights. However Marvel has done pretty good out of using the Hulk in other films and the subplots from Greenskin's second film have never been (re)addressed. This news makes some sense given it now probably means Thunderbolts will also make sense, given the 'comicbook' history of that team. However it makes no sense as a Sam Wilson/Captain America film, unless it's being used simply as a set up.

Could it be that the Marvel film franchise is dying on its feet? While Quantumania is making money, it's not exactly made execs above Feige happy and it's only just reached Black Widow levels and that was the first post-pandemic release. Okay, if they take back control of the character in 2025 why do this now; why the Hulk saturation if they can do Hulk films again soon? They need some blockbusters in 2024 and all they've got left of the original Avengers who hasn't been tried and tested is The Hulk. The Hulk makes them money and gets the crowds in - Hulk Good! Hulk Smash Box Office! It could be that this was always going to be the plan, but most industry insiders were talking about the World War Hulk story happening after Phase Six; Marvel and Feige love to talk about what they're planning; for Kevin they're his Stan Lee moments and if the Hulk was going to feature prominently don't you think we would have had more notice than this?

Thunderbolts is the film after CA:NWO and that initially was going to be a lot of the B-list characters we've been introduced to in the TV series - John Walker, Baron Zemo, Bucky Barnes, the Yelena Black Widow plus a few extras - or at least that was the impression we were given. That a kind of Dark Avengers was being assembled by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, but that might not be the case at all. Given Harrison Ford is only likely to be in the Cap film, it makes sense that they're going to introduce the Red Hulk [aka Thunderbolt Ross] into proceedings and he'll be the leader of the Thunderbolts. Given Julia Dreyfuss's role changed slightly in Black Panther: Wank Ada Forever I suspect her project might go on the back burner. Oh and there's the absence of Mark Ruffalo from New World Order's cast list, when all other Hulk characters are in it is probably because he'll take centre stage in Thunderbolts, especially as the original [much different] Thunderbolts were introduced in his comic [during one of Peter David's more forgettable runs]. 

I expect this will lead into the aforementioned World War Hulk, which might even see schedules moved around and Kang disappear from it, depending on the outcome of the Jonathan Majors court case. Would Marvel ditch an already hyped film? It wouldn't be the first time, but it would be the most high profile film so far, but if they look like they've been proactive (in this allegedly 'woke' world) it will look good further down the road.

However, I think this is more to do with money than anything else and Disney will be looking at the films up to Endgame and the films after and be wondering where the magic has gone? It is possible that like the comics the films are based on it is becoming bloated and unwieldy, this might require a different direction; a new person at the helm and that rarely works. Making superhero films isn't managing a football team. 

I expect some big announcements in the coming weeks, essentially as Disney announced that there would be only three movies a year and only two TV series; the company announced this news, quietly, on April 2nd. The idea to try and make Secret Invasion into a two-part Nick Fury film was never a viable idea and the TV series will debut on June 21 - gambling on a summer TV blockbuster is brave, especially as it will debut about six weeks before The Guardian of the Galaxy Vol 3 starts streaming on Disney+ - so it will probably conclude around the same time.

Ironheart had recently been moved in the schedules, while Echo, which has been beset by production problems, had also been shifted back. However, Hollywood Reporter's gossip columnist suggests that all is not going well with Ironheart with much reshooting and reports the special effects are 'very Mighty Morphin Power Rangers...' while Echo has been adding known characters to its cast list. Both series have been reportedly shelved until 2024 and the only other definite, live action, series confirmed in 2023 is season two of Loki, which might feature Jonathan Majors in it and if it does everything will depend on his hearing. While it's 'in the can' Loki hasn't been given even a rough release date, possibly confirming the imminent fluidity of the future schedule.

A small caveat to something I mentioned in the first part of this article, Agatha: Coven of Chaos is officially going to be a musical, it has also been rescheduled for autumn 2024 and is likely to be filmed as a one-off special. Literally inside the last half an hour one of my old contacts in the business said that he'd heard a number of things including the above mentioned Agatha Harkness series becoming a 75 minute special in the style of Werewolf by Night or the GotG Christmas Special, however that was not the biggest news...

Being announced at some point over the next week will be a revised schedule for film and TV; Blade looks set to be pulled, The Fantastic Four is likely to be put back to late 2025 even 2026. There will be a Hulk film in 2025, which will conclude the World War Hulk series and set up Avengers: Secret Wars. Deadpool 3 could be PG-13 rated and be done in a Not Brand Echh comic style; Marvel also announced that the She-Hulk writer Jessica Gao would be working on the script. There is growing concern at Disney about there being an 18 rated film in their superhero line. 

Having a much reduced output might prove to be a good move and any things currently in production can be released in the future, however a number of Disney bigwigs are concerned about the direction Marvel is taking and would like the focus to be reined in rather than expanded. This could effectively see the current schedule taking up the entire schedule until 2030 or possibly never completing it.

There will be big announcements of new or returning actors to roles - it is believed that Chris Evans has been asked to come back for two films as Steve Rogers and that the Scarlet Johansson produced film could also feature her as a resurrected Black Widow, but with Jeremy Renner out of action for a couple of years, possibly for good, then there will be no Hawkeye. Robert Downey Jr has never discounted coming back as Tony Stark and as he's pushing 60, we have to think that if Marvel has brought these iconic actors back, they must realise they have some problems ahead. If they were going to do this it has to be now as they only have them for a limited period of time before age gets the better of them.

If everything that is happening isn't an indication there is a problem at Marvel/Disney I learned nothing from writing about them for 15 years. I expect in the next 18 months someone in to replace Feige and a massive refocus on the core reasons for the success in the first place. It's inevitable; if Guardians 3 doesn't rock the cosmos from that point onwards it's a blank slate.

However, still no X-Men, so there is a silver lining.