Disney CEO Comments on Marvel Fatigue: “They Want Great Films”

Disney CEO Bob Iger is shooting down the thought that moviegoers are suffering from Marvel fatigue, stating that audiences want “great films.” 2023 wasn’t the best year for Marvel Studios at the box office. Aside from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, other films such as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels underperformed when compared to previous Marvel films. In some ways, this can be expected after Avengers: Endgame theoretically wrapped up the storytelling from over 20 previous Marvel movies. Whispers of “Marvel fatigue” have started to spread like wildfire, but Disney’s CEO doesn’t agree.

Bob Iger was on hand for a Morgan Stanley conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, where he was asked about Disney’s declining film business. He noted that “we’re doing a lot” to rectify the downward trend for Disney films that “hit on hard times that needed addressing.”

Iger then addressed Marvel Studios, pushing back on the idea that audiences have superhero fatigue. “A lot of people think it’s audience fatigue, it’s not audience fatigue. They want great films,” Iger said. “And if you build it great, they will come and there are countless examples of that. Some are ours and some are others. Oppenheimer is a perfect example of that. Just a fantastic film,” Iger said. “Focus is really important. We reduced the output of Marvel, both number of films they make, and the number of TV shows, and that really becomes critical, but I feel good about the team. I feel good about the IP we’re making. I talked about a lot of the projects. We look years ahead, really. And it’s iterative.”

Disney CEO leaves some movies off 2025 calendar

Recent comments by Disney CEO Bob Iger might have some MCU fans left scratching their heads. During Disney’s latest earnings call, Iger skipped over both Thunderbolts and Blade while discussing films the company has set for release in 2025. Both productions have gone through many changes behind the scenes, causing a potentially worrisome scenario for fans hoping to see either movie.

“Looking to our 2025 theatrical slate, we’re excited to bring audiences Captain America: Brave New World and Fantastic Four for Marvel, Pixar has Zootopia 2, and then there’s Avatar 3,” Iger said during the call. “And we’re already looking forward to 2026 and beyond with Frozen 3, the first Toy Story movie since 2019, and a new Star Wars movie that brings The Mandalorian and Grogu to the big screen for the very first time.”