News Bob Iger is back! Chapek is out!!

[jaxonp]

It’s possible that Marvel has a master plan but what is it? A percent of the general public is giving up on them because the apparent lack of direction. Does anyone that’s not a super nerd know what’s going on in the MCU?

 

[BobPar]

Chapek didn't get a great hand with the pandemic and nflation hitting - but he's been desperately disappointing.

Furthermore, yes his main priorities were the investors, he didn't help himself by alienating Disney fans (a term that has popped up in the last few years).

He dithered and was perhaps overly conservative during the pandemic - especially in Florida where there were little restrictions. Universal opened quickly when they were allowed, but Disney dithered for no apparent reason and remained closed for a period. Why? Why weren't they ready to go. Any savings they made from getting rid of workers was negated by being closed.

As a new CEO there seemed no confidence to plan for a big investment, the next big takeover, the next big attraction, the next big theme park.

As a theme park fan, i don't see anything to get excited about for the future (maybe like investors are feeling). Epcot is a mess with half the park having being behind a construction wall for a decade when it's finished. Everything become tacky and cheap, and the dreaded reservation system. And worst of all there is no plan for new attractions being in the horizon, just fluff about 'what we might do' which insults it's fans.

To me the answer is simple they played up to the side they chose who backed lockdowns & mandates etc.... lets face it their fanbase my guess is more left leaning & liberal along with how vocal on social media was during that time bc disney diehards.... just my thoughts on why they did what they did vs what Uni and other theme parks did across the country

 

[BobPar]

I'm not so sure about that.

Walt himself definitely chose sides in the early 50s, although given that the animators strike of 1941 almost killed the company, I can't exactly blame him.

okay let me be clear didnt think i had too but im referring to more recent not 60-70 years ago.... to try & compare the 2 is impossible especially in this political climate

 

[SteamboatJoe]

These new marvel movies generally lack focus, aren’t as good, don’t have the star power the originals had and aren’t tying a clear story together like the first 20 films did lol.

Plus you have to be tied to Disney plus to know what the heck is going on. Marvel needs to figure it out and they need to figure it out quick.

Lucus film puts out a handful of films that all really did pretty well and they put a pause to their future while they reevaluated what they need/want to do.

Marvel needs to do the same?


And what has happened to Pixar?

Agree on the Marvel focus. Since the first Iron Man we clearly knew where things were headed. Formation of the Avengers and then the Infinity stones. Things aren't nearly as clear right now. The stories sometimes seem like filler with no real point in terms of the larger story. There are hints of mutants and X-Men but nothing solidly imminent. And what is the next central story line. Skrull Invasion? Secret Wars? Its not really clear (although I have not yet watched She-Hulk or Wakanda so maybe its clearer now). It almost feels like its trying to go in multiple directions at the same time to the detriment of the product. The MCU is also replicating the problem the comics sometimes have, spreading out the story over too many titles.

 

[JohnD]

CNBC thinks Chapek was fired because he wasn't woke enough. Let that sink it. They're blaming this on "Don't Say Gay."

There was an LA Times article posted earlier. Sure that was part of it but just one piece of many Chapek missteps.

 

[Nubs70]

While investors like optimizing money makers, they certainly need to see some large future investments as well to get excited about. Otherwise you live and die only on the quarterly results. Chapek clearly died with that last quarterly report. I think that ultimately the Board/investors saw there was nothing Chapek was looking at as a long-term strategy, just cost-cutting and price gouging to the limit on Disney's current big money maker: parks. But there is nothing in the pipeline there, nothing to keep investors engaged, it's all wait patiently for a few years before Disney+ supposedly turns a profit. Very perilous way to run a company whose main competitor in their actual moneymaking industry is seeing record profits and a massive theme park on the way.

With weakening demand in the parks evident and streaming's stock boost no longer a premium it was time to quickly cut the cord. Streaming-wise, Disney is in a solid position with the amount of subs, but they desperately need price increases (on the way) and cutting back content costs/shifting movies back to theatrical.

It's completely obvious, but Iger is miles better at the actual back room dealing than Chapek and is completely willing to make splashy purchases/investments to build excitement among investors. Think his priorities are likely:

1. Try to get theatrical/streaming mix back on track. The mix is off, and it is clear that too many movies that could be decent hits theatrically are going straight to D+, which has very little value add compared to a TV show.
2. Do everything he can to use his connections to get China back in the fold and repair that relationship.
3. Appease the parks fans with some rollbacks of Chapek-era initiatives (convinced the actual moneymaking stuff won't be cut like Genie, but park reservations will be axed, park hopping anytime will be reinstated, etc.) and announcing some big investments there to generate excitement both among fans and investors.
4. Look for another big potential purchase, could be another studio/streamer.

D+ is a dumpster fire.

Do I go to theater for a first run with family for $100 or wait for D+ release for a quarter of my monthly sub fee(assuming I only watch 1 film that month)?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It’s possible that Marvel has a master plan but what is it? A percent of the general public is giving up on them because the apparent lack of direction. Does anyone that’s not a super nerd know what’s going on in the MCU?

Chadwick Boseman was meant to be the centerpiece and you can't blame them for that part, at least.

 

[Heppenheimer]

And what has happened to Pixar?

I think we can all guess what will happen to Pixar if they don't start returning to form.

 

[brideck]

Wakanda Forever fell off a cliff on it's second weekend with a 64% drop. These larger than usual 2nd weekend drops are new for the MCU.

The average 2nd week drop for the MCU going back to Civil War (I stopped bothering after going that far) is ~58%, with all 18 movies falling between 50-66%. Wakanda Forever's performance is not at all unusual, nor is it a new phenomenon for the MCU.

 

[jaxonp]

Agree on the Marvel focus. Since the first Iron Man we clearly knew where things were headed. Formation of the Avengers and then the Infinity stones. Things aren't nearly as clear right now. The stories sometimes seem like filler with no real point in terms of the larger story. There are hints of mutants and X-Men but nothing solidly imminent. And what is the next central story line. Skrull Invasion? Secret Wars? Its not really clear (although I have not yet watched She-Hulk or Wakanda so maybe its clearer now). It almost feels like its trying to go in multiple directions at the same time to the detriment of the product. The MCU is also replicating the problem the comics sometimes have, spreading out the story over too many titles.

Wakanda doesn’t answer anything… filler is a good word.

Who’s the new bad guy? Kang, the celestials who knows… I’m starting to care less and less. It’s become less fun, which is sad which is why I think we’re seeing a decline in $$$$ for many of these projects.

And before anyone throws Spider-Man in my face, people always show for Spidey.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

These new marvel movies generally lack focus, aren’t as good, don’t have the star power the originals had and aren’t tying a clear story together like the first 20 films did lol.

Plus you have to be tied to Disney plus to know what the heck is going on. Marvel needs to figure it out and they need to figure it out quick.

Lucus film puts out a handful of films that all really did pretty well and they put a pause to their future while they reevaluated what they need/want to do.

Marvel needs to do the same?


And what has happened to Pixar?

Disney is not running any of those divisions well right now.

Are they gonna put that on chapek?
They’ll try…but he did nothing to cause it.

Those are all IGER’s people

 

[SteamboatJoe]

Thats why I feel like the latest Black Panther deserves a pass. They had to make a huge adjustment and deviate from what had originally been intended.

 

[jaxonp]

I think we can all guess what will happen to Pixar if they don't start returning to form.

I haven’t even watch the last 5-6 Pixar movies… is anyone really interested anymore or is it time for 4 more Toy Story movies?

 

[jaxonp]

Disney is not running any of those divisions well right now.

Are they gonna put that on chapek?
They’ll try…but he did nothing to cause it.

Those are all IGER’s people

They may be but Iger kept most of this on track when he was in charge. Chapek didn’t.

 

[GhostHost1000]

For the billionth time: Disney has never been out of politics

No American company with more than 5 e employees ever has been

I understand that but there’s a way to do it and not be so public about it when the country is so politically divided ya know. Be smart about how you run your business

 

[jaxonp]

Thats why I feel like the latest Black Panther deserves a pass. They had to make a huge adjustment and deviate from what had originally been intended.

It’s an okay movie, somewhat emotional, and a great homage to Chadwick.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Disney is not running any of those divisions well right now.

Are they gonna put that on chapek?
They’ll try…but he did nothing to cause it.

Those are all IGER’s people

Chapek's biggest failure has been an inability to correct the problems caused by Iger. Naturally, Iger is the guy they tapped to fix them.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Another alphabet person here.

What’s happened to this thread boggles my mind. Much of it has been cleaned up, but not all, and the poster in question is still, it seems, at large.

LGBTQI posters shouldn’t be subjected to this sort of nonsense. No-one should. No reasonable person would come to a thread about Chapek’s removal and expect to find pages and pages of homophobic and transphobic vitriol. It’s disgusting and totally beyond the pale.

We’ve gone through this before and it was embarrassing how it was handled

 

[SteamboatJoe]

Wakanda doesn’t answer anything… filler is a good word.

Who’s the new bad guy? Kang, the celestials who knows… I’m starting to care less and less. It’s become less fun, which is sad which is why I think we’re seeing a decline in $$$$ for many of these projects.

And before anyone throws Spider-Man in my face, people always show for Spidey.

Kang and the multi-verse seems like the answer but there have also been nods to the Skrull Invasion and Secret Wars. They have a lot of options but need to pick one.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Doing the right thing were people are concerned is not political, in fact it is miles away from being anything even slightly resembling politics. (governmental wise). If this is about the "Don't say gay" thing then that is a political stance and to follow it is political. To say no to "don't say gay" is human beings doing the right thing. That is not woke, that is human decency. Granted there isn't much left of that anymore.

Disney can support what they want…they just have to be smarter about how public they make it.

Sometimes not saying anything is better than having to backtrack and look bad. Just my opinion