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The Walt Disney Company might be associated with “Disney magic” — even if that does, according to many Disney fans, seem to be in short supply sometimes — but returning Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger recently made a move that was anything but magical for one of his employees!
Layoffs were to be expected after Disney CEO Bob Iger announced plans for up to 7,000 job cuts in an effort to turn the Disney ship around after the struggles that the Walt Disney Company faced with CEO Bob Chapek running things.
However, Iger’s laying off of Marvel Entertainment leader Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter still raised several Disney fans’ and Walt Disney Company stockholders’ eyebrows, despite the heads-up that was given!
Ike Perlmutter Credit: Associated Press
Perlmutter served as the Chairman of Marvel Entertainment, and according to Iger (in a recent TIME interview) his removal was a very “necessary step” in the repairing of the Walt Disney Company.
“This was a necessary step in the direction of us creating a more efficient company,” Iger explained, showing no remorse during the interview. “There was redundancy specific to the way Marvel was being managed.”
Credit: Hollywood Reporter
Perlmutter, as it happens, tells a different story. According to him, disagreements with “Disney leadership” led to his firing — not his layoff — more than any general Marvel “redundancies.”
Perlmutter had been working for Marvel Entertainment for many years, and he had reportedly played a crucial role in Disney’s purchase of Marvel Entertainment.
Credit: Disney
However, Perlmutter also allegedly endeavored to avoid making movies with female leads or Black main characters, which made him less than popular with many Marvel consumers (and less than compatible with Disney, since Disney also seems to be making a concerted effort to be as inclusive as its audiences are demanding).
As Disney CEO Bob Iger continues to make significant changes in the Walt Disney Company and beyond — including, clearly, within the Marvel purview — Disney Fanatic will continue to keep a close eye on the alterations that are ahead and keep readers informed.
