The story behind the Marvel Studios/Marvel Entertainment split is almost as compelling as the disastrous tale of Fox's failed Fantastic Four reboot, and The Hollywood Reporter has the latest on why Kevin Feige reached the end of his tether with Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter. According to the trade, years of frustration came to a head when the two clased over Captain America: Civil War's budget. This matches up with what Variety said when Robert Downey Jr. was added to the cast of the movie (at the time, it was reported that Perlmutter very nearly fired the actor rather than pay him what he wanted to return as Iron Man, something Feige couldn't abide).
The trade adds, "Sources say the budget on Civil War ballooned accordingly, which didn't sit well with the famously frugal Perlmutter. 'New York wanted to scale it down,' says one insider." The "New York" they mention was both Perlmutter and Marvel's Creative Committee. While they haven't been disbanded - they'll still play a role in the TV shows - their role in the movies will be pretty much non-existent. "New York had a big say for a long time but hasn't Kevin earned the right to some autonomy?" asks one insider. "He’s made the company billions. Why is he reporting to a 72-year-old man who doesn’t make movies?" It's hard to argue with that!
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