Kevin Feige, Dan Buckley, and CB Cebulski Comment On Joe Quesada’s Marvel Departure

On the heels of the revelation that Marvel executive vice president and creative directorJoe Quesada was leaving after almost 25 years as an editor and executive with the company, some of the biggest names at Marvel have already turned up to bid Quesada a fond farewell, as he moves into what sounds like it’s going to be a future of working on creator-owned stories. Quesada, who worked on the acclaimed indie book Ash with collaborator Jimmy Palmiotti in the ’90s, came to Marvel in 1998 as the artist on Daredevil. Quesada and Palmiotti ran the mature-readers line “Marvel Knights” for the publisher, and by 2000, Quesada had been named editor-in-chief.

Quesada was named Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment in 2010, just after the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe created a wave of new projects that he and his editors were responsible for. He left his editor-in-chief role in January 2011, being replaced by Axel Alonso. His position was re-titled as executive vice president and creative director in 2019.

“Simply put, Joe is one of the most influential creatives in comics,” said Daniel Buckley, President of Marvel Entertainment. “Everything he has done, from penciling to writing to designing to editing to brainstorming, has been – and will always be – at the highest level. Over the past 30 years, I have considered myself lucky to be his friend and collaborator. And while Joe will always be a part of the Marvel family, we should all be looking forward to what he brings into the world next.”

“As an artist and a storyteller, Joe is second to none in what he’s accomplished in the comics industry,” said C.B. Cebulski, Editor-in-Chief, Marvel. “From the day I started at Marvel years ago (I became an editor largely due to his encouragement), he’s embodied the heart of Marvel and the work we do, and he’s taught me and so many others how to do the same. Following in his footsteps is no easy task, as he set the creative bar so high. But he’s always gone above and beyond to lend me his ear as a mentor and offer his sage advice when needed. He’s someone I can call family, and I know so many on our editorial team feel the same. While Joe’s moving on to begin his next big chapter, I’m thrilled we’re going to keep working together on a few projects, and he’ll never be far from our stories here.”

“There are few who know Marvel Comics like Joe, and his countless contributions have helped create characters and stories that will never stop growing and evolving,” said Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios, and Chief Creative Officer, Marvel. “I’m grateful for his creative leadership and collaboration over the years and wish him nothing but the best for what’s next.”

During his time at Marvel, Quesada oversaw a number of major innovations and overhauls of the line. He  rolled out Marvel MAX, a mature-readers label with Brian Michael Bendis, and looked to his indie roots to take risks on creators like Bendis, Michael Avon Oeming, and others who brought an energy to Marvel that was anything but the house style at the time.

Quesada is also widely credited (or, depending on who you ask, criticized) for embracing stories that are written with collected editions in mind, and for rolling out a day-and-date digital release plan for the publisher.