One of the MCU's biggest former directors addressed a Disney decision that "killed" Marvel Studios over the last few years. While the MCU still ranks as one of the most popular entertainment franchises by the numbers, fans have not come out in droves to support Marvel Studios as feverishly as they did in years past. From afar, someone who helped build the studio's status shared why that might be.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn shared his thoughts on Marvel Studios' critical and financial struggles from the last few years. Gunn is building his own new DC Universe, which kicks off in theaters this summer with the release of Superman. Thanks to his experience with both comic book movie giants, his perspective is one that fans are eager to hear.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Gunn reflected on a private conversation with Marvel Studios co-President Louis D'Esposito about what has recently gone wrong with the MCU. When the outlet shared the idea that Marvel may have "put out too much stuff," Gunn was not sure that this was not Marvel's fault:
"And Louis said that privately to me. I don’t even know if it’s really their fault."
Agreeing that the studio was under a mandate to release a massive volume of projects from Disney, he said it "wasn't right" and "wasn't fair," confirming that this mandate "killed them."
Comparing that experience to his own with the DCU, Gunn spoke on the lessons he learned watching from a distance. "We have to treat every project as if we're lucky," he noted, explaining that he and his team have to make sure every project released is "of the highest quality" while also saying not everything will be perfect:
"There’s no doubt. We have to treat every project as if we're lucky. We don't have the mandate to have a certain amount of movies and TV shows every year. So we're going to put out everything that we think is of the highest quality. We're obviously going to do some good things and some not-so-good things, but hopefully on average everything will be as high-quality as possible. Nothing goes before there's a screenplay that I personally am happy with."
Currently, Marvel Studios and DC Studios are in the midst of major years in terms of their release schedules in theaters and the streaming world. Marvel Studios is prepping to release its third movie of the year, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, on July 25, along with six animated and live-action MCU shows coming to Disney+. Meanwhile, DC Studios is approaching the theatrical release of Superman on Friday, July 11, and its lone streaming release on HBO Max will come with Peacemaker Season 2 on August 21.
How Marvel Is Adjusting After Old Disney Mandates
Those who have followed the MCU since the end of the Infinity Saga have seen the franchise's highs and lows, many of the lows stemming from a massive increase in content output. After the Infinity Saga maxed out at three movie releases per year, Disney relied heavily on the MCU to push new content both in theaters and on its new streaming service, Disney+.
Due to that, the Multiverse Saga was a different story, as most years have come with anywhere from six to 10 new projects (outside of 2024, which had only one movie and three Disney+ shows). The franchise was initially behind the eight ball after delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2023 writers/actors' strikes forced the studio toward a reduced release schedule for 2024. Now, things are about to change drastically for the MCU.
While the end of the Multiverse Saga is still uncertain, Disney hopes to have a more regular release plan for the MCU, resulting in three movies and two Disney+ shows per year. For now, however, that may not take effect until Phase 7 begins post-Multiverse Saga.
Disney could still potentially change things around for 2026 and 2027, but as it stands, Marvel currently has a one-year gap in theatrical releases between The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 2025) and Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 2026). Considering the fan complaints over recent releases (many of them stemming from Marvel's expansive release slates since 2019), the studio is working to settle in on the best strategy to help the MCU grow and thrive.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
