Bob Iger is in damage-control mode. Again.
Disney’s past and present CEO is trying to repair the damage done to the iconic American company while explaining away the Mouse House’s recent failures.
It’s a tough mission even for a seasoned executive like Iger, and some of his proclamations leave more questions than answers.
Iger has vowed to “quiet” the company’s culture war measures and, more recently, downplay the studio’s Left-leaning messages on screen. Meanwhile, he’s yanked advertising from X due to Elon Musk’s alleged anti-semitism, a false narrative pushed by the Left.
Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for The New York Times
He’s also trying to explain why “The Marvels,” part of the wildly popular MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) stumbled so badly at the box office last month.
To do so, he had to indirectly smear the film’s black female director, Nia DaCosta.
“The Marvels” is the first MCU film to be helmed by a black female director, period. Now, Iger is saying the “Candyman” reboot director needed extra help to make the movie better.
And it never arrived thanks to COVID.
Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Disney
Iger shared his views during the recent New York Times’ DealBook Summit.
“The Marvels was shot during COVID … there wasn’t as much supervision on the set, so to speak, where we have executives [that are] really looking over what’s being done day after day after day.”
Did DaCosta require “mansplaining” to get the MCU just right?
I'm flabbergasted with Disney's treatment toward Nia DaCosta
Marvel's first BLACK WOMAN director did NOT get invited to her OWN SCREENING.
Then the trades want to twist the story as if she purposefully ditched out.
Trades openly villainizing a Black Woman is disgusting. pic.twitter.com/BuBW1MFieL
— Leo Rydel (@GeeklyGoods) November 21, 2023
The director hasn’t taken kindly to criticism since “The Marvels” debuted. She blasted her critics in the cruelest ways possible.
“There are pockets where you go because you’re like, ‘I’m a super fan. I want to exist in the space of just adoration — which includes civilized critique,” she explains. “Then there are pockets that are really virulent and violent and racist — and sexist and homophobic and all those awful things. And I choose the side of the light. That’s the part of fandom I’m most attracted to.”
“The Marvels” wasn’t the first time a relatively green director got the keys to a superhero kingdom. The recent “Spider-Man” films were directed by Jon Watts, whose biggest claim to fame prior to the web-slinger movies was the indie film “Cop Car” with Kevin Bacon.
The Russo brothers, who directed “Captain America: Winter Soldier” before tackling two “Avengers” blockbusters, also brought a modest resume to the gig.
Their 2006 comedy “You, Me and Dupree” hardly screamed, “hire them for the MCU!” It all worked out beautifully both for Disney’s MCU and Comic Con Nation.
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This article was originally published on HollywoodInToto.com.
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of HollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at @HollywoodInToto.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.