Former Marvel Exec Ike Perlmutter Says He Was Fired, Not Laid Off

Days after finding himself as one of the 7,000 employees laid off by Disney, former Marvel Entertainment chairperson Ike Perlmutter has broken his silence on the matter. Rarely granting interviews, the reclusive executive just spoke to The Wall Street Journal, telling the paper that he wasn't laid off but rather, fired for a difference in business ideas.

"I have no doubt that my termination was based on fundamental differences in business between my thinking and Disney leadership, because I care about return on investment," Perlmutter, 80, told the paper.

Despite Disney's Marvel Studios grossing over $23 billion in box office receipts because of its Marvel Cinematic Universe, Perlmutter added that he thought the Mouse focused too much on movies and not enough elsewhere.

"All they talk about is box office, box office," he added. "I care about the bottom line. I don't care how big the box office is. Only people in Hollywood talk about box office."

According to the report, Disney general counsel Horacio Gutierrez called Perlmutter directly to inform him his position atop Marvel Entertainment—the business group that previously oversaw Marvel publishing and toy efforts—was being eliminated and the businesses he looked over were being folded into Disney's other businesses.

"It was merely a convenient excuse to get rid of a longtime executive who dared to challenge the company's way of doing business," Perlmutter said of his ouster.

Perlmutter was also behind a recent proxy fight led by Disney investor Nelson Peltz, who tried to wedge himself onto the Disney board earlier this year. Perlmutter said he joined Peltz cause because he felt Disney's actions weren't aligning with his ideas.

"My experience with any major corporation, when they're having problems and they don't have the free cash or whatever it is, usually people like Nelson Peltz know how to put it back on track," Perlmutter said. "I learned one thing about creative people my whole life: You cannot give them an open credit card.…They're doing this for 30 years, why would they change?"

Perlmutter was also at the center of a contentious dispute with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige around 2015. According to Disney chief Bob Iger, Perlmutter tried to fire Feige from his position atop Marvel Studios, though Iger stepped in to veto the decision. Shortly thereafter, Iger made it so Feige would report directly to the bosses of Walt Disney Studios instead of routing communication through Perlmutter, effectively removing all things Marvel Studios from Perlmutter's control.