Disney CEO Bob Iger says that Thunderbolts* is the “first and best example” of the MCU’s return to form as Marvel Studios once again ramps up to focus on fewer, higher quality movies than on a wide spate of streaming series.
Speaking on a conference call with Wall Street analysts (via Deadline), Iger says that Disney’s “zeal to flood our streaming platform with more content” was a misstep, reiterating some of his previous comments about the studio’s push to release numerous Marvel and Star Wars streaming series in the wake of its introduction of the Disney Plus platform.
“In our zeal to flood our streaming platform with more content, we turned to all of our creative engines, including Marvel, and had them produce a lot more,” Iger states. “We’ve also learned over time that quantity does not necessarily beget quality. Frankly, we’ve all admitted to ourselves that we lost a little focus by making too much. By consolidating a bit and having Marvel focus much more on their films, we believe it will result in better quality. I think the first and best example of that is Thunderbolts*.”
Thunderbolts* (which has been cheekily retitled New Avengers thanks to the film’s plot twist) has received positive reviews from critics and fans alike, and now even Iger is pointing to the film as an example of the direction in which Marvel Studios is headed.
Indeed, both Thunderbolts* and its direct follow up, July’s Fantastic Four: First Steps, have touted their filmmaking along with their stories as reasons for worn out fans to return to the theater, with Iger saying the upcoming slate of Marvel films is “the best I have seen” since 2019’s massively successful Avengers: Endgame capped off the first saga of the MCU.
Check out our review of Thunderbolts*, AKA New Avengers, which is now in theaters capping off Marvel Phase 5. Phase 6 begins with July 25’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps. For more, check out our guide to the other upcoming Marvel movies on the way in 2025 and beyond.
