Disney CEO Bob Iger thinks the quality of Marvel Studios’ output has become “diluted” by too many sequels.
Per CNN, Iger spoke with Andrew Ross Sorkin at The New Times’ annual DealBook summit on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, where he addressed some plans going forward for Marvel Studios.
Iger said that the number one thing the company is currently focused on is putting out quality movies and television series rather than worrying about quantity.
“Quality needs attention to deliver quality, it doesn’t happen by accident,” Iger said. “And quantity, in our case, diluted quality — and Marvel has suffered greatly from that.”
He added, “I would say right now my number one priority is to help the studio turn around creatively.”
Iger admitted the company had “made too many” sequels that hadn’t been well received by fans and critics. “Often, the story is not as strong as the original story, that can be a problem, but it just has to have a reason, you have to have a reason to make it beyond commerce,” he explained. “There has to be an artistic reason to make it, and we’ve made too many.” From now on, Iger said the company will only move forward with sequels if they believe they are “worth telling.”
Bob Iger says The Marvels needed more supervision from executives
Regarding the recent box office returns for 2023’s The Marvels, Iger claimed the movie needed more “supervision on set” from Marvel executives.
“The Marvels was shot during Covid, there wasn’t as much supervision on the set, so to speak, where we have executives there, really looking over what’s being done day after day after day,” he said.
Iger further addressed audiences’ expectations when it comes to streaming windows for theatrically released movies, saying, “I think we’ve conditioned the audience to expect that these films will be on streaming platforms relatively quickly and that the experience of accessing them and watching them in the home is better than it ever was,” Iger said. “One, easier to access in terms of the technology and two, just the visuals — better sets in your living room than before — and a bargain when you think about it.”
