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Disney CEO Bob Iger had to overrule Marvel execs to get 'Black Panther' and 'Captain Marvel' made

Black Panther and Captain Marvel faced roadblocks at Marvel Entertainment (Credit: Disney)
Black Panther and Captain Marvel faced roadblocks at Marvel Entertainment (Credit: Disney)

Marvel Entertainment put up “roadblocks” in order to stop Black Panther and Captain Marvel getting made, says Disney CEO Bob Iger.

The Hollywood mogul has written a memoir about his last 15 years in charge of The Walt Disney Company, called The Ride of a Lifetime, and in it, he discusses the issues faced after the purchase of the comic book company.

According to Iger (via Screen Rant) he had to put his foot down to ensure diversity was taken into account for future Marvel movies.

“I’ve been in the business long enough to have heard every old argument in the book,” he writes, “and I’ve learned that old arguments are just that: old, and out of step with where the world is and where it should be.

Bob Iger attends the European film premiere of Disney's 'The Lion King' at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on 14 July, 2019 in London, England (Photo by WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Bob Iger attends the European film premiere of Disney's 'The Lion King' at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on 14 July, 2019 in London, England (Photo by WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“We had a chance to make a great movie and to showcase an underrepresented segment of America, and those goals were not mutually exclusive,” he continued.

“I called Ike [Perlmutter] and told him to tell his team to stop putting up roadblocks and ordered that we put both Black Panther and Captain Marvel into production."

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Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter has been involved in Marvel Comics since 1993. He became CEO of Marvel Comics in 2005 and remained CEO of Marvel Entertainment after Disney acquired the company in 2009.

In 2015, Perlmutter stopped overseeing Marvel Studios to allow Kevin Feige to report directly to Disney chairman Alan Horn.

Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter, an Israeli-American billionaire, and the CEO of Marvel, walks down the steps of Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base in Md., Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter, an Israeli-American billionaire, and the CEO of Marvel, walks down the steps of Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base in Md., Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

This was due to Feige's frustration with the Marvel Entertainment boss over issues like the one described by Iger.

Perlmutter, a longtime friend of Donald Trump, has been involved in several lawsuits over the years including one where he was named.

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A former NYPD sergeant testified under oath that he helped renew his firearm carry license in exchange for tickets to Marvel movie premieres in Los Angeles.

The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons in Creative Leadership from the CEO of the Walt Disney Company is available to buy now.