Disney Investor Nelson Peltz Questions Kevin Feige's Abilities And Need For BLACK PANTHER's "All-Black Cast"

Disney Investor Nelson Peltz Questions Kevin Feige's Abilities And Need For BLACK PANTHER's "All-Black Cast"

Disney investor and billionaire Nelson Peltz is looking to insert himself into the company's board, but comments about Marvel Studios' diverse movies and Kevin Feige's abilities are raising eyebrows...

By JoshWilding - Mar 24, 2024 05:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Marvel Comics
Source: Financial Times

Last year, billionaire Nelson Peltz's investment firm, Trian Partners used its $2.5 billion stake in Disney to launch a proxy fight to force his way onto the company's board. They'd later give up that fight but are now back on the warpath. 

Peltz has been highly critical of Disney's $71 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox and the debt that left the House of Mouse dealing with, and is the first to point out the studio's recent financial woes. Over the past couple of years, that's extended to theatrical and streaming losses, with brands like Marvel and Pixar struggling to make the same impact they once did. 

Talking to the Financial Times, Peltz - who is once again campaigning for board seats and now holds a stake of around $3.5 billion - said, "Disney is stupid because I’m not trying to fire [chief executive] Bob Iger, I want to help him. We don’t fire CEOs."

Disney doesn't want Peltz or his followers on the board and argue that he's failed to "[present] a single strategic idea" of how to turn things around. The insinuation seems to be that Peltz is only interested in increasing profits for investors, even if that's to the detriment of Disney's creative output. 

During this interview (you can follow the link above to read the whole thing), the site put Peltz's apparent lack of ideas to him, prompting the businessman to take aim at Disney's recent releases.

"They say we know nothing about the movie business - we don’t claim we do - but I don’t think they do, with five big losers in a row. They’ve lost first place in animation, they’ve lost first place in features. Maybe it’s time to change management in those divisions."

So, someone who knows nothing about the movie business wants to make sweeping changes, but will that extend to firing Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige? "I’m not ready to say that, but I question his record," Peltz says of the man who has overseen a $30 billion franchise since it launched in 2008. 

Ultimately, it seems he feels Disney (and Marvel) have gone too woke. "People go to watch a movie or a show to be entertained," Peltz says. "They don’t go to get a message. Why do I have to have a Marvel that’s all women? Not that I have anything against women, but why do I have to do that? Why can’t I have Marvels that are both? Why do I need an all-Black cast?"

Those comments appear to be in relation to The Marvels and Black Panther; the latter grossed over $1 billion and earned an Oscar nomination. They very much echo Ike Perlummter's thoughts on Marvel, the executive who allegedly stopped Kevin Feige from making movies revolving around non-white characters. 

Asked about these remarks from Peltz, a Disney spokesperson responded, "This is exactly why Nelson Peltz shouldn't be anywhere near a creatively driven company."
 

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CoHost
CoHost - 3/24/2024, 5:30 AM
$700m in America alone says otherwise.
DTor91
DTor91 - 3/24/2024, 5:32 AM
Just another billionaire dumb ass.
Conquistador
Conquistador - 3/24/2024, 5:36 AM
Black Panther didn't have an 'All Black Cast' though.

It was predominantly black, but it made sense. 🤷🏾‍♂️
Blergh
Blergh - 3/24/2024, 6:01 AM
@UniqNo - Peltz and Perlmutter are so old they can't even discern a movie playing in front of them with black and white dots moving on a blurry foreground.
They never saw it, cared for it.

They also probably don't really give a sh*t about the context of the movie, what matters is to generate an outcry and support from a certain crowd.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/24/2024, 9:16 AM
@UniqNo - yeah and they threw in a white guy for good measure 😂
Slotherin
Slotherin - 3/24/2024, 10:58 AM
@McMurdo - exactly
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 3/24/2024, 11:14 AM
@Blergh - "What matters is to generate an outcry and support from a certain crowd."

That is exactly it. It's been obvious for a while now that there is an analytic campaign to foster anti-Disney, anti-Bob Iger and anti-Kevin Feige sentiment because the movies have become "Too woke" and to blame all recent failings on them.

Thank goodness this Nelson Putz is stupid enough to actually spell it out plainly when interviewed so we can all see exactly what their game is, with no deception.

The truth is, Iger left. MCU dropped in quality. Now he's back and by the time Wolverine and Deadpool comes about we'll see that the quality has returned. There is no problem. There was one but now it's fixed.

And Ike Perlmutter was a big part of that problem.
Conquistador
Conquistador - 3/24/2024, 12:07 PM
@Blergh - Yup,

@McMurdo- well technically there were about 3 featured white characters. Just saying.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/24/2024, 1:02 PM
@UniqNo - i genuinely only remember Freeman but it's been awhile. Not a movie I find has a ton of rewatch value unfortunately. I almost was more entertained by the second film cuz Namor at least had some personality but that's probably heresy to say here.
Conquistador
Conquistador - 3/24/2024, 2:06 PM
@McMurdo - RIP to Boseman but the first is only memorable to me because of the villains. Killmonger absolutely stole the show and Serkis' Klaue was dope (though his role was too small) a good character follow up from AoU.

The second is a far better movie imo, but i think a major part of that was the due to Boseman's passing, the theme of death and grieving and the depth it added to the characters and actors performances. Namor was a standout for sure and i loved the added backstory with the aztec stuff....also the vfx were a hell of alot better then the 1st, or masked better as some of the stuff was under water.
TheManWithoutFear
TheManWithoutFear - 3/24/2024, 5:36 AM
TheManWithoutFear questions Nelson Peltz's abilities.
Blergh
Blergh - 3/24/2024, 6:06 AM
@TheManWithoutFear - he pushed his daughter into a Transformers movie and that horrendous Avatar - TLA adaption from Shyamalan. He even got her a part in Inhumans, maybe due to his relationship with Ike.
OptimusCrime
OptimusCrime - 3/24/2024, 5:39 AM
Nothing wrong with it, its a black country who tries to keep there country secret.
Just hated how they did Klaw....because he's WHITE! RACISM!

Apophis71
Apophis71 - 3/24/2024, 6:56 AM
@OptimusCrime - Killing Klaw was a mistake, get the reasons as elevated threat level of the antagonist etc but...

...that is one villain who I'd love to see an upgraded version of turn up on Battleworld.
Arthorious
Arthorious - 3/24/2024, 8:09 AM
@Apophis71 - same, Claw is a major Black Panther villain and it was a shame for them to use him once. I could say the same about Crossbones too.
RolandD
RolandD - 3/24/2024, 10:14 AM
@OptimusCrime - Killing Klaw was a mistake in my opinion, but it’s a common trope. Superhero movies killing major villains has been a problem with the genre going back at least as far as Burton’s Batman movies.
Slotherin
Slotherin - 3/24/2024, 10:59 AM
@Apophis71 - that's the potential positive to variants
Slotherin
Slotherin - 3/24/2024, 10:59 AM
@RolandD - amen
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 3/24/2024, 5:45 AM
User Comment Image

First of all , Black Panther did not have an all Black Cast , both Martin Freeman & Andy Serkis were in it as the Tolkien white guys 😏.

Also it’s sad that people have forgotten that stories were originally told to teach lessons or get a message across…

Nothing wrong if one just entertains but both types can and should co-exist.
DarkModeDan
DarkModeDan - 3/24/2024, 3:55 PM
@TheVisionary25 - Hehe, 'Tolkien' white guys.

User Comment Image
Blergh
Blergh - 3/24/2024, 5:59 AM
Nelson Peltz and Ike are just trying to garner support from the conservative side of the media. They'll paint Feige and Iger as "woke" putting their agenda over corporate interests. Meanwhile they'll negate any success a percieved "woke" movie had.
It's the playbook: mobilize the "other side" in your favor to get what you want.

Right now Perlmutter and Peltz aren't that big of a threat but once they get their supporters and media backing (maybe even hoping for Musk to join in) they'll become a credible threat over Iger's reign.
Matchesz
Matchesz - 3/24/2024, 6:07 AM
UH OH a disney investor is making sense time to smear his name and call him a racist and a sexist and a racist!!!
ProfessorWhy
ProfessorWhy - 3/24/2024, 6:20 AM
@Matchesz - this is about creatives vs profiteers, but thanks for showing your hand again
Matchesz
Matchesz - 3/24/2024, 6:27 AM
@ProfessorWhy - and problem is there are no more creatives but activists, they should be replaced
AC1
AC1 - 3/24/2024, 6:34 AM
@Matchesz - They've also never made a movie with an all black or all female cast so what's your point? Black Panther had a handful of white supporting actors including Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis, and The Marvels had male supporting actors like Samuel L Jackson. When you look at all the other Marvel movies, the majority have leaned heavily towards having a predominantly white male lead cast, so what's the problem with having a couple of movies here and there that are lead by other groups of people instead?

And movies have always been about delivering messages. Fiction itself has always been about delivering messages. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't understand the first thing about storytelling.
ProfessorWhy
ProfessorWhy - 3/24/2024, 6:37 AM
@Matchesz - the problem is people who love to hear themselves cry. Sounds like you are in that bunch
Matchesz
Matchesz - 3/24/2024, 6:46 AM
@AC1 - bro but its all the same social political messages. There are other problems in the world that need attention not just trans rights. There’s nothing wrong with a all black cast but they did nothing with it in wakanda forever, it had a dumb story. The queen is murdered and they’re all cool at the end? Thats how unrealistic these movies are becoming with this leftist mindset.
AC1
AC1 - 3/24/2024, 7:38 AM
@Matchesz - I haven't noticed anything to do with trans rights in anything Marvel have put out, or at least nothing that distracted from whatever else was going on.

I'll agree BP:WF was a little more messy story-wise, although I'm more inclined to put that down to them having to rework their original ideas when they decided they didn't want to recast T'Challa following Chadwick Baseman's death, felt like they kinda rushed the movie to make sure they didn't have to delay it too much.
Vigor
Vigor - 3/24/2024, 7:59 AM
@Matchesz - you have nothing to say so you're just saying random things lol
Origame
Origame - 3/24/2024, 8:24 AM
@Matchesz - and they act like there's no diversity quotas that are the reasons these decisions are being made. Ffs, they aren't even hiding it. This is from their website.

https://reimaginetomorrow.disney.com/assets/ABC-INCLUSION-STANDARDS-ONE-PAGER-6-16-21.pdf
ninerstreet
ninerstreet - 3/24/2024, 8:28 AM
@Matchesz - No need to call him anything. He did a pretty great job of calling himself all those things.
Canon108
Canon108 - 3/24/2024, 8:59 AM
@AC1 - you could say Freeman and Serkis were the 'Tolkien' white guys, lol
krayzeman
krayzeman - 3/24/2024, 9:14 AM
@Matchesz - Newsflash! The movies have ALWAYS BEEN UNREALISTIC! Its call fiction for a reason!
krayzeman
krayzeman - 3/24/2024, 9:21 AM
@Origame - I can see that. It's a corporation. They were making these same decisions back in the 60s, 70s 80s and 90s when they cast majority white guys and gals and you just had your token blacks sprinkled in to fill a quota. You're right corporate mandates havent changed. They werent even hiding it then either with their decisions based on race.
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