Disney CEO Bob Iger pushes back against the idea of superhero fatigue. He believes that audiences just want good films, which include that of his upcoming MCU slate.
Appearing at a conference in San Fransisco (via The Hollywood Reporter), Iger shot down the notion of superhero fatigue. After all, Disney's 2023 MCU slate disappointed overall (with the lone exception of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the third installment in a beloved series).
“A lot of people think it's audience fatigue, it's not audience fatigue. They want great films,” Iger claimed. “And if you built it great, they will come and there are countless examples of that. Some are ours and some are others'.”
He then named Oppenheimer, which grossed over $950 million worldwide, as an example. Iger called it “just a fantastic film” and claimed that cutting down on their output is a potential solution.
“Focus is really important,” he said. “We reduced the output of Marvel, both [the] 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.”
Bob Iger then promised big things for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, part of 20th Century Fox's slate, and Deadpool and Wolverine (the MCU's lone 2024 theatrical release). He called the former “one of the better films in the franchise” and promised that the latter “will be one of the more successful Marvel movies we've had in a long time.”
The state of the MCU
2023 was not kind of the superhero genre. It led many to believe that the craze was over. DC films like Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash both disappointed with hauls of $134 million and $271 million, respectively.
The MCU didn't fare that much better. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 did make over $845 million worldwide, but Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels made $476 million and $206 million, respectively. While the quality of the films can be debated, the fiscal success (or lack thereof) cannot.
Disney's CEO and Marvel Studios alike are banking on Deadpool and Wolverine to bring the MCU back to prominence.
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