The top Sony Pictures executive is speaking candidly about Marvel Studios' recent missteps and why he believes Kevin Feige is steering the ship back on course. After a turbulent stretch throughout the 2020s, the MCU has entered a period of recalibration heading into 2026. While some challenges stemmed from industry-wide disruptions, others resulted from creative and structural decisions now being reconsidered. Now, a key Sony leader who collaborates closely with Disney has weighed in, applauding Feige's track record and his renewed approach to Marvel's future.
During a recent appearance on The Town podcast hosted by Matthew Belloni, CEO of Sony Pictures Tom Rothman offered insight into what he believes went wrong with the MCU and why Kevin Feige is the man to fix it.
Rothman, whose studio has partnered with Marvel Studios and Disney on Spider-Man films since Captain America: Civil War introduced Tom Holland as the character, made it clear he has long-standing respect for Feige, even recalling Feige's early, minimal presence on the set of the original X-Men film.
However, Rothman didn't shy away from diagnosing what he sees as the franchise's biggest issue in recent years: oversaturation. Pointing to the aggressive expansion onto Disney+, he suggested that "scarcity" is what sustains audience enthusiasm:
"I just think he would say the same thing. I would say it this way, that when we always have to balance this, we balance this and answered your question about Spider-Man. Scarcity has value. You got to make the audience miss you....absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Despite that critique, Rothman made it clear he has unwavering confidence in Feige personally, stating that he'd "never bet against" him:
"I'll just tell you this, there are two people about whom I would say this and maybe more if I think about it, but these are two that come to the top of my mind never bet against Jim Cameron, okay, and never bet against Kevin Feige."
Rothman then addressed what he sees as Marvel's visible "course correction," noting that the heavy volume of interconnected Disney+ series made casual fans feel "excluded" if they weren't fully caught up"
"He knows what he's doing, you know, certainly they've engaged you can see it in a course correction, less television, I think it was really the television and the elaborateness of that interconnection that made you have to be so inside, you know, or else you felt excluded."
Finally, Rothman explained that Feige's previous strategy was shaped by directives from prior Disney leadership, but that the current plan reflects a "less will be more" philosophy, one he believes will benefit the franchise moving forward, especially with major theatrical events on the horizon like Avengers: Doomsday:
"And that was a mandate that he was given by a prior administration at Disney. And he's a good corporate soldier. So he did what he was asked to do. But I think he knows very well that now to a degree less will be more and it'll be very more. Have no worries for Avengers [Doomsday], guys."
It's no secret that Marvel is changing its plans. Rothman is right, Feige and others clearly believe that less will be more. After releasing three films in 2025, Disney will only distribute Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars over the entirety of the next two years. Rothman's Sony will handle the distribution for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The executive's comments also support the recent report that all of Feige's brain power is going toward these two Avengers films that will close out the roller coaster ride of a Multiverse Saga.
There also seems to be no hot seat for Feige, even with Bob Iger leaving Disney, the Marvel leader will continue to pioneer this comic book film universe.
For Rothman, it's easy to see why he'd have so much confidence in Feige and Marvel Studios. With their help, the MCU Spider-Man films have grossed around $3.93 billion worldwide. In 2026, Brand New Day is back to anchoring Sony's theatrical slate, projected to be one of the highest-earning films of the year.
Kevin Feige's Future at Marvel Studios
Kevin Feige doesn’t owe anyone an apology, especially not to Disney or Sony. The MCU is still the most successful franchise in the history of moviegoing, and the 2010s defined what success at the box office can be, a level that's hard to imagine ever being topped.
The struggles of a global pandemic, combined with a push to streaming, got the MCU temporarily off course, but that doesn't mean the future isn't bright.
As Rothman pointed out, scarcity can help turn things around, and if Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars are well received, a new era could launch in 2028, fueling an entirely new generation 20 years after Iron Man started the whole cinematic universe.
Marvel, Feige, the Avengers, the X-Men, and Spider-Man aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and the next chapter of the MCU is sure to be better than the last.
