Deron Generally
Deron GenerallyIt’s been reported for weeks that lay offs would be coming to the Disney Company and after the recent reveal of Marvel Studios executive Victoria Alonso being fired by the company, many wondered who would be next.
According to multiple reports, Marvel Entertainment Chairman Ike Perlmutter, who sold Marvel Entertainment to Disney in 2009 was informed that Disney will be folding Marvel Entertainment into other parts of the company and that was being let go. To be clear, Marvel Entertainment is a separate entity from Marvel Studios run by Kevin Feige. Co-president of Marvel Entertainment Rob Steffens was also let go.
Perlmutter acquired Marvel in 1998 while serving as co-owner of Toy Biz with Avi Arad. An often polarizing figure, Perlmutter initially had oversight of Marvel Studios productions until 2015 when his clashes with Feige led to Disney CEO Bob Iger moving Marvel Studios to a new division and out of Perlmutter’s control. Perlmutter also made some controversial statements in his time over the studio when Terrance Howard was replaced with Don Cheadle for Iron Man 2 and Perlmutter reportedly stated that no one would notice because all black people “look the same”.
Iger spoke to CNBC in February stating that Perlmutter’s clashes with Feige are one of the reasons he wanted him out saying; “I promised Ike the job that he would continue to run Marvel after that, not forever, necessarily,” Iger said. “And in 2015 he was intent on firing Kevin Feige, who was running Marvel’s studio … and I thought that was a mistake and stepped in to prevent that from happening.”
It has also been alleged that Perlmutter and billionaire Nelson Peltz were working together to get Peltz a seat on the Disney board and prevent the reappointment of Bob Iger to the company.
