While Marvel Studios' Phase 4 was far from a disaster, it still served as a difficult few years for the previously untouchable studio. As well as releasing its first "Rotten" movie in Eternals, the company found mixed fortunes on Disney+ too, proving that telling stories on the small screen requires a vastly different approach than those on the big one.
The number of "Certified Fresh" projects has also lessened, with many critics no longer as forgiving as they once were.
Throw in lower-than-expected box office numbers (the pandemic takes some of the blame for that), a poor start to Phase 5 with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, and Victoria Alonso's recent departure, and we have to imagine Kevin Feige isn't feeling too happy right now.
Disney CEO Bob Iger is thought to be key in making sure Marvel Studios returns to a quality-over-quantity approach to storytelling, and Feige may be prepping to make some changes too.
According to Jeff Sneider on The Hot Mic podcast, Feige's plan is to adjust his hiring strategy by turning to already established filmmakers and creatives. He'd add, "Feige does want to hire more established talent behind the camera," suggesting the idea is to put future movies in the hands of more experienced directors.
We're not sure what inspired this train of thought on Feige's part and nothing has been confirmed as of right now.
However, this lines up with what Deadline's Justin Kroll said last year about the hunt for Fantastic Four's helmer. "Kevin doesn't want [to] oversee [the] entire shoot," one source revealed, "and after not having to worry about that with [Sam] Raimi, he is very game [for the] same outcome with this shoot.'"
Matt Shakman was ultimately chosen to direct Fantastic Four and, while he isn't as experienced as Raimi, he's a trusted talent who delivered a hit in WandaVision for Marvel Studios.
Stay tuned for updates.