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As part of their cost-cutting campaign, Disney has laid off Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter, the Chairman of Marvel Entertainment, according to the New York Times. Marvel Entertainment is a small division of Disney that runs consumer products separately from Marvel Studios, the division responsible for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This Wednesday, Disney decided Marvel Entertainment was a redundant division that will now be folded into Disney’s largest business units.
Known for his ruthless approach to business, Perlmutter helped Marvel to avoid bankruptcy in 1997 while also playing a significant role in the deal that led Disney to acquire the comic book company in 2009. However, as crucial as Perlmutter could have been for Marvel’s survival a few decades ago, the executive was at the center of multiple controversies, including reportedly sexist, homophobic, and racist stances that prevented movies like Black Panther, Black Widow, and Captain Marvel from happening. In 2015, Perlmutter also tried to get Kevin Feige fired in a move to take control of Marvel’s filmmaking division. So, while cost-cutting was the official reason Disney had to lay off Perlmutter, the departure of the 80-year-old executive might put an end to some unwelcomed internal turmoil.