Marvel Studios Kevin Feige To Take Creative Control Of Other Marvel Entertainment Interests
by Erik Amaya
It seems, finally, most of Marvel will be connected.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige will now serve as the Chief Creative Officer. The new role comes with overall creative control of Marvel Entertainment’s output as its television, animation, and publishing efforts will now be directed by Feige at Marvel Studios. Since the company’s acquisition in 2009, the wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company acts as separate entity from other divisions like The Walt Disney Studio. In 2015, Feige successfully transferred Marvel Studios from Marvel Entertainment to the studio division, effectively making the film component a separate Marvel from Marvel Entertainment. This is why Marvel Studios productions have that lavish and different vanity card from the one employed by television shows like Luke Cage. It is also why the promised connections between the television shows, produced by Marvel Entertainment, and the films of Marvel Studios never materialized in a substantial way.
But that will seemingly change with Feige taking a direct and active interest in Marvel’s other creative endeavors. Presumably this change has been in the works for sometime as Marvel Studios, not Marvel Television, announced plans to produce limited run television series for the upcoming Disney+ streaming service. Marvel Television, which produces programs like Runaways, Cloak & Dagger, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., was expected to produce a horror themed line of programs for Hulu, Disney’s other streaming service. Presumably, this deal will still go through in some capacity, but it is unclear what it will look like now.
Also unclear is the role of Marvel TV boss Jeph Loeb. He has overseen the company’s television and animation interests since 2010, but it is possible he may walk away under the new structure. As it happens, his plans for a Ghost Rider series on Hulu evaporated just a rumors indicated Marvel Studios had an interest in producing a Ghost Rider film. Then again, moving all creative initiatives to Feige’s purview may help avoid conflicting interests like this in the future.
Marvel Entertainment president Dan Buckley will continue in his current role, but will report to Feige on creative matters while reporting to Marvel Entertainment chairman Issac Perlmutter on issues relating to games, licensing, and other creative services issues. Other members of the Marvel team like Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, and CB Cebulski will also remain in the current positions.
Which suggests Marvel Comics will continue with its current editorial vision. Marvel Television, on the other hand, will be a very different part of the Marvel structure in a year’s time.
