Is it a coincidence that Bob Iger stepping down as CEO to be replaced by his namesake Mr. Chapek has coincided with both public and uncorroborated disagreements between Disney and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s top brass? Possibly, but two recent high profile incidents have led to talk that not everything is rosy at the highest levels of the all-conquering pop culture overlord’s corporate structure.
Everybody knows that Scarlett Johansson sued the Mouse House for breach of contract after Black Widow was sent to Premier Access without an update to the small print in her contract reflecting the change, and fingers have pointed firmly in Chapek’s direction for letting things get to a stage where one of the most popular stars in the business sees no other option than to file a lawsuit against her employers.
On top of that, Simu Liu fired a thinly-veiled shot in Chapek’s direction when his heartfelt social media post stated that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings isn’t an experiment, but a movement with the potential to change the world. Kevin Feige may have put it all down to a misunderstanding, but it was also reported that Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer was said to be livid over the whole Black Widow scenario.
We’re now hearing from our sources – the same ones who told us Chris Evans had shot a Free Guy cameo long before it was revealed – that Feige is purportedly having some heated discussions with the Disney hierarchy after two of his stars publicly denigrated decisions and/or statements made by Chapek right around the time his studio is releasing big budget blockbusters. Maybe he can convince Brian Chapek to have a word with his old man, seeing as he’s worked at Marvel for almost a decade.
