Who Is Ike Perlmutter? Marvel Executive History & Controversies Explained

Disney has laid off Ike Perlmutter, one of the executives responsible for launching the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but who exactly he is and his involvement in the franchise may not be well known to the average viewer. Perlmutter served as CEO of Marvel since 2005, and was the executive responsible for selling the company to Disney for $4 billion in 2009. After being acquired by Disney, Perlmutter remained on board as chairman of Marvel Entertainment, under which Marvel Studios originally reported. However, there are several facts about Perlmutter's controversial history with Marvel that are important to be aware of in wake of his sudden, but perhaps not surprising, exit.

Ike Perlmutter's exit from Marvel comes only a few weeks after news broke that Victoria Alonso, Marvel Studios' President of Physical, Post Production, VFX, and Animation, had been fired. While Perlmutter hasn't been involved in the MCU since 2015, it would appear that returning Disney CEO Bob Iger has made his first moves in restoring the Marvel brand's good name, removing certain executives whose work with the company hasn't benefited the Mouse House. While more layoffs may be on the way, Alonso and Perlmutter's departures signal major changes ahead for Marvel.

What Ike Perlmutter's Role At Marvel Was

Iron Man aiming his repulsors in Iron Man 2008

Ike Perlmutter's career with Marvel extends all the way back to the early 1990s, in which he served as a member of the company's board of directors long before the inception of the MCU (via Bloomberg). By the time the superhero franchise got its start in 2008 with Iron Man, Perlmutter was serving as the CEO of Marvel Entertainment. He sold Marvel to Disney in 2009 but remained on and oversaw Marvel Studios. After a series of clashes with Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios was removed from Perlmutter's purview in 2015, allowing Feige to report directly to Disney's executives instead. After the restructuring, Perlmutter remained chairman of Marvel Entertainment and was involved in Marvel's television projects for several more years until they were folded into Marvel Studios (via THR).

Ike Perlmutter's Impact On Marvel Explained

Spider-Man climbing up a wall in the 2002 film

Although Perlmutter's name may have a negative connotation when it comes to his work at Marvel Studios, it is important to note the positive impact that he had on the company as well. It is no secret that Marvel went through serious financial turmoil in the 1990s, causing the comics company to sell the film rights of several major characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Hulk, to different studios in order to avoid bankruptcy. According to Forbes, Perlmutter was important in easing Marvel's financial burden, primarily through his work on the company's early films, including pre-MCU movies like Spider-Man, Hulk, and Daredevil, eventually selling the company to Disney.

Selling the film rights of Marvel's most popular character may have become a creative burden in the age of the MCU, but this move greatly increased the company's merchandising opportunities. Since the medium of film is decidedly more far-reaching than comics, Marvel's movies had bigger audiences that opened up merchandising opportunities that were simply unavailable before. When the MCU did begin in 2008, Perlmutter was involved in creative decisions for the franchise all the way through the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015, when Disney restructured how it developed Marvel films, promoting Feige (via The New York Times).

Ike Perlmutter Tried To Stop Black Panther & Captain Marvel Movies

Perlmutter is undoubtedly better known for his intense frugality, which led to him attempting to stop the production of films like Black Panther and Captain Marvel. In his memoir, The Ride of a Lifetime, Disney CEO Iger confirmed that Perlmutter had blocked production on both films, indicating his reluctance stemmed from a fear that audiences didn't want to see films with diverse leads. According to Iger, these films were only greenlit after making a personal call to Perlmutter demanding that he stop "putting up roadblocks." Both Black Panther and Captain Marvel made over $1 billion, becoming two of Marvel's highest-grossing films of all time.

Ike Perlmutter Tried To Fire Kevin Feige In 2015

Despite Feige's innumerable contributions to the MCU throughout the entirety of the franchise's run, Perlmutter attempted to remove him from Marvel Studios in 2015. In a recent interview on CNBC (via Deadline) after returning to his role as Disney's CEO, Iger revealed new details about the turbulent relationship between Perlmutter and Feige. According to the CEO, Perlmutter was "intent on firing Kevin Feige," a supposition that Iger himself stepped in to prevent from happening. It was after this that Feige was permitted to report directly to Alan Horn, a Disney movie executive.

Although the MCU Phase 4 has proven divisive, it is clear that Iger's decision to protect Feige has been purely beneficial to the MCU. Feige's creative voice and vision have been instrumental in building the franchise into the financial juggernaut it has become today. In fact, only four years after surviving Perlmutter's campaign to fire him, Feige was promoted to President of Marvel Studios, putting him in charge of Marvel's film, television, animation, and comic endeavors in their entirety. Since then, Feige has remained the face of Marvel Studios, almost always acting as the individual to announce its upcoming titles.

Other Ike Perlmutter Marvel Controversies

Perlmutter was also often embroiled in various controversies that continuously soured how he was perceived by the general public. Multiple reports from Marvel employees make reference to Perlmutter's intense desire to remain out of the public eye, which supposedly led him to attend Iron Man's premiere in full costume, and overbearing frugality, which led to cutting corners at press junkets and similar events (via THR). However, while most of these apparent idiosyncrasies were perceived as harmless, some of Perlmutter's personal beliefs have also come to light in recent years that have proven decidedly less flattering for the former Marvel executive.

While Marvel recasting a character for the MCU is not entirely unheard of, Terrence Howard's exit as James Rhodes, aka War Machine, ahead of Iron Man 2 is infamous for the behind-the-scenes tension that it caused. According to certain reports, Perlmutter told Andy Mooney, the chairman of Disney products at the time, that no one would notice that Howard had been replaced by Cheadle because all Black people "look the same" (via Vanity Fair). This report has gone unconfirmed over the years but, if true, it does paint a disturbing picture of Marvel's approach to diversity in its early days.

Why Ike Perlmutter Has Left Disney

Perlmutter's departure from Marvel officially comes as a result of Disney's new direction under returning CEO Bob Iger. In the past few months, the company has undergone a massive cost-cutting campaign that hasn't left Marvel untouched. In the wake of Marvel's slight downturn in profits, the company is scaling back production and has even delayed The Marvels, as well as multiple Disney+ projects set to release in the next few years. As a result, Perlmutter's dismissal is anything but surprising, given .

Additionally noted in the report of Perlmutter being laid off was that he attempted to shake up Disney's board of directors. Last year, he pushed to have his friend, activist investor Nelson Peltz, join the board, though he was unsuccessful. This, along with his frequent clashes with Iger and Feige, his heavily diminished role, and Disney's widespread employee layoffs, results in Perlmutter's dismissal being anything but surprising (via The New York Times).

What Does Ike Perlmutter Leaving Disney Mean?

Guardians of the galaxy vol 3 secret invasion ironheart

Ultimately, Perlmutter's departure from Disney will likely have very little impact on the MCU. Perlmutter hasn't had the same creative control over Marvel's films and series since losing his power struggle with Feige in 2015. By the time he was laid off, Perlmutter had little to no influence over the MCU, and the Marvel Entertainment division he oversaw will be folded into other Disney departments. However, while Perlmutter's dismissal likely won't be of great effect, Disney's widespread cost-cutting still might. As a result, this may not be the last major shakeup to hit the MCU in the coming months.

Sources: Bloomberg, THR, Forbes, The New York Times, CNBC, THR, Vanity Fair, The New York Times