Disney CEO Bob Iger, in a discussion with CNBC on Thursday, revealed that Disney intends to scale back the release of Marvel and Star Wars content. This aligns with earlier reports from Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios.
This decision arises as the company seeks to reduce expenses during a period when its recent releases, spanning from Marvel to animation, have not met expectations at the box office.
“You pull back not just to focus, but also as part of our cost containment initiative. Spending less on what we make, and making less,” Iger said Thursday.
Iger also pointed out recent underperformances by Pixar animation and particularly highlighted Marvel as an example of the company’s enthusiastic attempt to increase its original content on streaming platforms.
“Marvel is a great example of that. It had not been in the television business at any significant level, and not only did they increase their movie output, but they ended up making a number of TV series,” said Iger. “Frankly, it diluted focus and attention.”
Regarding Marvel, the slowdown is already visible. Last year, there was a total six Marvel projects, which includes specials and shorts, released on Disney+. This year, however, the number has dwindled to just three. This year’s lineup features “Secret Invasion”, the second season of “Loki”, and “Echo”.